Around 10 am on December 30, 2019, Zhongshan's first electronic medical invoice was issued in Zhongshan Torch Development Zone Hospital, marking the beginning of the "electronic invoice system era" in Zhongshan's medical industry. When Ms Yin visited Torch Development Zone Hospital, she obtained an electronic medical invoice following the guidelines.

"After I pay the fee, I can check the electronic invoice on my mobile phone and print it out on the self-service machine in the the hospital's outpatient hall. The whole process takes less than a minute. It is very convenient," said Ms Yin.

Previously, the Ministry of Finance, the National Health Commission and the National Healthcare Security Administration jointly issued a notice which specified the procedure regarding reimbursement and filing of electronic bills for medical charges. In the future, electronic invoices, which have the same legal effect as paper invoices, can be obtained through only a few steps on the mobile phone.

After investigation, Zhongshan decided to designate Torch Development Zone Hospital as the pilot unit for the medical electronic invoice system. The Hospital launched the medical electronic invoice system on the morning of December 30, 2019.

By July 1, 2020, all public medical institutions in Zhongshan will fully implement the medical electronic invoice system.