PICC Underwrites First Invasive Brain-Computer Interface Surgery Accident Insurance in China

Brain-computer interface technology has been incorporated into the national 15th Five-Year Plan as a key strategic focus, and is moving from clinical trials toward standardized clinical application, gradually being used in medical scenarios such as motor function reconstruction for paralysis, consciousness arousal for disorders of consciousness, and regulation of chronic neurological diseases. Recently, PICC Property and Casualty underwrote China's first invasive brain-computer interface surgery accident insurance policy for the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, filling the domestic gap in dedicated risk protection for the clinical translation stage of invasive brain-computer interfaces. The policy covers risks including intraoperative cortical bleeding, brain tissue trauma, intracranial infection, electrode displacement or fracture, medical negligence, and long-term postoperative inflammation or rejection. The coverage boundary is tied to the hospital's existing clinical processes, surgical standards, and the implantable brain-computer devices that have been approved for market.

The product is a targeted, customized solution for specific medical institutions, specific surgical approaches, and compliant marketed implantable devices, rather than a standardized insurance product that can be mass-distributed. The industry currently generally adopts an underwriting and pricing logic based on "benchmarking against mature surgical procedures plus weighted adjustment of multiple risk factors," using complication data from deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery as the benchmark reference. Implanted devices must hold national Class III medical device registration qualifications and pass verification of biocompatibility test data. Patient age, immune function, underlying cerebrovascular disease, degree of primary neurological damage, and prior surgical history are used for risk classification, with differentiated underwriting conditions and premium rates set accordingly.

Invasive brain-computer interfaces involve different technical routes, including intracortical implantation, epidural implantation, and wired or wireless transmission, with significant differences in trauma severity, complication types, and long-term risks. Changing hospitals, device manufacturers, or technical routes requires fresh due diligence and assessment. The main factors currently constraining scale-up include the lack of unified industry-wide risk standards, the absence of long-term risk data for the 3 to 10 years after implantation, and insufficient willingness of reinsurers to accept such risks. Regarding payment responsibility, during the clinical trial stage, brain-computer interface companies bear the risk protection costs; in the early commercialization stage, costs shift to a shared burden between companies and patients; and once routine clinical application is reached, patients will become the ultimate payers, with premiums included in treatment costs in the form of surgery accident insurance.