China's new rural cooperative medical care system now covers 832 million people, with rural residents getting larger reimbursements for their medical bills, a health official said Friday.

The new system brings China's rural health insurance coverage to over 96 percent of the rural population, said Yang Qing, director of the rural health department of the Ministry of Health at a press conference.

Most of the remaining 4 percent are farmer-turned workers working outside their hometowns, who can join the health insurance system for urban workers or residents, Yang said.

He admitted that efforts should be strengthened so the entire rural population could benefit from the medical insurance policy.

Under the new medical insurance plan, reimbursement caps for farmers is raised from 30,000 yuan to 50,000 yuan (7,600 U.S. dollars), almost 10 times more than what most farmers earn annually, according to Yang.

Farmers will be reimbursed for about 70 percent of their inpatient expenditures, 10 percentage points more than in 2010.

Central and local governments provide supportive funds for rural patients. The supportive fund increased to 200 yuan per person this year, compared to the previous amount of 120 yuan per person.

The health and finance authorities have pledged to strengthen supervision of these funds to ensure safe and regular operation of them.

Yang said China has also carried out a pilot project in 14 provinces that provides financial assistance to children with congenital heart disease and leukemia.

The project helped 7,490 children to get medical treatment for these illnesses in the first quarter of this year, with the insurance scheme covering more than 70 percent of the costs.

Meanwhile, about 13 provinces and cities have expanded the package to cover other critical diseases such as breast cancer, cervical cancer, uremia and serious mental diseases.

Expanding the cooperative medical care system, which was initiated in 2003, is intended to reform China's health care as part of a strategy to introduce cheaper medical services for all.