Recently, the National Healthcare Security Administration released the "Guidelines for the Approval of Medical Service Price Projects for Surgery and Treatment Auxiliary Operations (Trial)". For cutting-edge medical technologies such as 3D printing, surgical robotic arms, and remote surgery, this guide establishes a unified national fee framework for the first time, covering 37 price items, 5 additional items, and 1 extension item. This measure uses price leverage to drive the transformation of medical services from "traditional treatment" to "precision medicine", which not only standardizes the charging standards for clinical diagnosis and treatment, but also opens up new space for the large-scale and high-quality development of the medical device industry. In the past two years, the market share of domestic surgical robots in China has continued to increase, growing from 32.61% in 2023 to 48.89% in 2024. ”Zhang Xu, an academician of the CAS Member and professor of the Department of Urology Medicine of the PLA General Hospital, said that the surgical robot is the epitome of modern scientific and technological development. It is clearer than the naked eye and more flexible and stable than manual operation, further expanding the application possibility and technical limit of minimally invasive surgery. With the acceleration of medical technology innovation in China, the market share of domestically produced surgical robots continues to increase. In clinical applications, they are gradually becoming the "preferred choice" from "supplementary solutions". Multiple products have also entered overseas markets such as the European Union, India, and Brazil, demonstrating the strong technological strength of China. Previously, the charging model for surgical robots lacked a unified national standard and was mostly determined based on factors such as surgical approach, application site, and domestic and foreign brands. This logic of charging based on devices not only leads to a chaotic list of charging items, but also includes unreasonable items such as "start-up fees", which not only increases the burden on patients but also makes it difficult for medical insurance to achieve precise and effective intervention. Surgical robots represent the development direction of precision medicine, and their participation in surgery and promotion of precision surgery determine their clinical value. ”Wang Xiaoning, Director of the Medical Pricing and Tendering Procurement Department of the National Medical Insurance Administration, stated that the guidelines released this time set up three pricing items for surgical robots: navigation, participation in execution, and precise execution, allowing robots to be charged according to their work. For example, robots that provide visualization conditions for surgery through ultrasound technology can charge for surgical ultrasound guidance assisted operation fees; By using a surgical robotic arm platform, medical personnel can be assisted in manipulating surgical instruments through mapping control, and participate in completing surgical steps such as channel construction and punching. The surgical robotic arm assistance operation fee can be charged for participating in the execution; Only when assisting in the precise completion of all or key steps of the surgery can fees be charged that match the precise execution. This pricing method based on clinical contribution allows surgical robots with higher participation, more comprehensive functions, and more precise execution to obtain higher charging coefficients, forming a clear incentive orientation. This means that products produced under OEM or with only basic "planning functions" are difficult to fish in the muddy waters of clinical fee items; Only hard core technologies that truly address clinical pain points, achieve precise execution, and have clear clinical value can obtain reasonable market returns and promote the industry to focus on technological innovation. The guide also clarifies the charging path for the revolutionary application of remote surgery. How far can remote surgery go? The answer given by Zhang Xu is 8100 kilometers - the straight-line distance from Beijing, China to Rome, Italy. In June 2024, Academician Zhang Xu's team completed the world's first remote prostate cancer radical surgery over 8000 kilometers in Rome, Italy, using a domestically produced remote surgical robot. The surgery takes 65 minutes to operate inside the cavity, with low bidirectional network latency and zero frame loss. With the assistance of surgical robots, surgeries that originally required larger incisions can be completed through porous or even single hole operations. ”Zhang Xu stated that the technology requirements for single hole robots are relatively high, and currently, multiple domestic companies have approved their products in this field. China will further guide medical institutions with conditions to use surgical robots for remote surgery, helping to further expand the clinical application scale of precision surgery. The improvement of policies will give wings to the clinical application of surgical robots. Shu Biao, Director of Technology and Business Development at Shanghai Minimally Invasive Medical Robot Company, stated that remote surgical robots have completed a large number of complex human surgeries and can provide practical and feasible technical solutions for patients in remote areas. The establishment of the "Remote Surgical Assistance Operation Fee" pricing project in the guide will help more high-quality surgical robots enter the market, benefit more patients with advanced medical technology, and promote the universal and balanced distribution of high-quality medical resources. Wang Xiaoning stated that the National Healthcare Security Administration will comprehensively complete the compilation of guidelines and promote the basic unification of medical service pricing projects nationwide. In the future, we will use guidelines as a starting point to promote the clinical translation and application of innovative technologies and related medical services, ensuring that the public can access high-quality, efficient, and affordable medical services. (New Society)