Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the organisational and procedural arrangements for healthcare reform in China, and describe the role of social values in the relevant decision-making process.
Design/methodology/approach: An analysis of recent developments aimed at achieving universal coverage in China was undertaken in the context of describing the influence of underlying social values.
Findings: The key underlying social value was found to be social solidarity. Other values were implicit rather than explicitly stated, and were subservient to the overall aim of comprehensive coverage.
Originality/value: The paper shows that China is embarking on the largest-scale health reforms in the world. There is an eagerness to share experiences with other countries in an attempt to ensure the success of the reforms. There is an increasing understanding of the need to make the values underpinning the reforms more explicit and, in particular, those concerned with efficiency and appropriateness.