“Red packet”, or the red envelope containing money as a bribe or kickback, is a kind of present. It not only reflects a relationship involving exchange of material things, but also has social and cultural implications. Seen as an element of Chinese social organizations, the red packet has multiple functions -social, economic and political. In the traditional Chinese society, the red packet had already been in existence in the medical industry. After the People's Republic of China was founded, the practice of giving and receiving red packet, to a large extent, disappeared because of the establishment of the planned economic system.However, since the country's reform and opening up began, the red packet has appeared again in the medical health industry. This reappearance is mainly because that the economic reform has been a gradual process with different emphases at different stages. Before the burden of expenditure on medical institutions and public health welfare has been lifted from the shoulders of public finance, market elements have already entered the management of medical institutions and made room for the popularization of “red packets”.
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