BEIJING March 10 -- The Beijing Health Bureau and the municipal Development and Reform Commission have issued a joint circular capping the maximum hospital charge for an x-ray at 80 yuan or 10 US dollars, besides the film fee.

 

Beijing Morning Post reports patients used to have to pay 142 yuan, or about 18 U.S dollars for an X-ray, in addition to a charge for film. The cost of having an x-ray will drop by 43 percent when the regulation takes effect.

 

Patients will also be exempt from paying the 50 yuan (or 6 US dollars) computer tomography fee when they receive laser CT scans and magnetic resonance scans.