Abstract
Purpose Since the implementation of the New Cooperative Medical Scheme (NCMS) in 2003, this program has experienced rapid growth. Even so, little is known about the association between NCMS expansion and labor force supply among rural residents in China. The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of the NCMS on labor force supply for rural Chinese populations. Design/methodology/approach Using data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS), a difference-in-differences (DD) approach is employed to estimate the impact of NCMS expansion on labor supply outcomes, including hours of worked in agriculture, off-farm labor force participation, not working, and weeks off due to illness. A number of falsification tests are conducted to identify whether the assumption of common trends of DD analyses is satisfied. The robustness of results is checked through additional estimation, including panel fixed effects and instrumental variable approach. Findings Results show that the NCMS expansion has a positive effect on the hours of worked in agriculture and off-farm labor force participation, and reduces the likelihood of not working and weeks off due to illness. The effect on hours of agricultural production is larger for male adults, those aged 50 or more, and individuals in low-income families. This study demonstrates the importance of potential health improvements from public health insurance in promoting rural residents’ labor productivity. Originality/value Studies concerning the effects of public health insurance on labor supply in developing countries remain limited. The findings of this study provide important insights into how public health insurance programs, like the NCMS, may affect patterns of labor supply among rural residents, and can help policymakers improve health policies aimed to reduce the number of uninsured farmers while maintaining high levels of labor supply, productivity, and health status among the most vulnerable of populations.
Highlights
Since the implementation of the New Cooperative Medical Scheme (NCMS) in 2003, there has been a proliferation of research about the effects of public health insurance, healthcare resource utilization, and its associated clinical outcomes
Overall, the findings suggest that the NCMS has a positive effect on annual hours worked on the farm, with a 4-5% decrease in the likelihood of not working and a 5% increase in the likelihood of off-farm labor force participation
Interpretation: Studies concerning the effects of public health insurance on labor supply in developing countries remain limited
Summary
Since the implementation of the New Cooperative Medical Scheme (NCMS) in 2003, there has been a proliferation of research about the effects of public health insurance, healthcare resource utilization, and its associated clinical outcomes. The ACEP International Ambassador Program was developed as a venue for international experts to provide current status and progress of Emergency Medicine (EM) in their assigned countries. Emergency medicine is in different stages of development around the world. Colombia has made significant strides in the development of emergency medicine in the last two decades and recognized it as a medical specialty in 2005. The country has seven emergency medicine residency programs, three in the capital city of Bogota, two in Medellin, one in Manizalez, and one in Cali. The seven residency programs are in different stages of maturity, with the oldest founded 20 years ago and two founded in the last two years. The goal of this study was to characterize this seven residency programs
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