Rights statement: This is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in China Economic Review. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in China Economic Review, 52, 2018 DOI: 10.1016/j.chieco.2018.06.004
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Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Demand for social health insurance
T2 - Evidence from the Chinese New Rural Cooperative Medical Scheme
AU - Yang, Miaoqing
N1 - This is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in China Economic Review. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in China Economic Review, 52, 2018 DOI: 10.1016/j.chieco.2018.06.004
PY - 2018/12
Y1 - 2018/12
N2 - This paper assesses the determinants of enrolment in the New Rural Cooperative Medical Scheme (NRCMS), a heavily subsidized voluntary health insurance scheme in rural China. The analyses focus on the relationship between insurance purchase and health facility choice based on data drawn from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS). The results show that households from villages that reported use of village clinics are more likely to be insured compared with households from villages that reported use of county hospitals. The results indicate that the perception of quality of care is an important factor affecting people's enrolment decisions. The NRCMS is expected to help patients obtain better quality health services from higher-tier of the healthcare system that are unaffordable otherwise. However, given the prevailing fee-for-service payment mechanism for health care, the insurance may also drive up the healthcare cost and direct patients to use more expensive and unnecessary hospital care.
AB - This paper assesses the determinants of enrolment in the New Rural Cooperative Medical Scheme (NRCMS), a heavily subsidized voluntary health insurance scheme in rural China. The analyses focus on the relationship between insurance purchase and health facility choice based on data drawn from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS). The results show that households from villages that reported use of village clinics are more likely to be insured compared with households from villages that reported use of county hospitals. The results indicate that the perception of quality of care is an important factor affecting people's enrolment decisions. The NRCMS is expected to help patients obtain better quality health services from higher-tier of the healthcare system that are unaffordable otherwise. However, given the prevailing fee-for-service payment mechanism for health care, the insurance may also drive up the healthcare cost and direct patients to use more expensive and unnecessary hospital care.
KW - Social health insurance
KW - China
KW - Health facility choice
KW - Quality of care
U2 - 10.1016/j.chieco.2018.06.004
DO - 10.1016/j.chieco.2018.06.004
M3 - Journal article
VL - 52
SP - 126
EP - 135
JO - China Economic Review
JF - China Economic Review
SN - 1043-951X
ER -