Medical Exoskeletons Included in Rehabilitation Coverage in Several Chinese Regions
Multiple regions in China, including Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang, have incorporated medical exoskeleton rehabilitation into their health insurance or long-term care pilots, signaling potential market growth.
Several Chinese regions, including Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang, have begun including "medical exoskeleton rehabilitation training" programs within their health insurance or long-term care pilot schemes. This move aligns with the national "15th Five-Year Plan" for medical security, which encourages the inclusion of new technologies, drugs, and devices within commercial health insurance coverage.
Medical exoskeletons are wearable robotic devices that provide standardized, repetitive gait training for patients. They assist in improving hip, knee, and ankle joint control, trunk balance, and walking ability, helping individuals regain the capacity to stand and walk. This offers patients more options beyond traditional rehabilitation methods that often relied on manual assistance from therapists.
Industry analysts project the market size for medical exoskeleton robots in China to reach approximately 1.42 billion yuan by 2025. Experts anticipate that cost-effective and highly practical rehabilitation exoskeleton robots will be a key focus for future development.
Current applications are primarily found in hospital rehabilitation departments, specialized rehabilitation hospitals, and rehabilitation centers. Factors such as an aging population, increasing demand for rehabilitation services, and advancements in domestic manufacturing are driving the growth of the medical exoskeleton market. Companies like Fourier Intelligence, ChengTien Technology, and Motion Workshop Robotics currently hold leading shares in this sector.