Abstract
Background: China has a large floating population created by the fast urbanization and unique hukou system. With low socioeconomic status, labor-intensive jobs, and the lack of portability of health insurance, the floating population are often disadvantageous in healthcare. However, there is often insufficient attention to healthcare of the floating population.Method: To provide an informative description of certain aspects of the floating population under healthcare, particularly including demographic characteristics, illness conditions, insurance utilization, and medical expenditure, a survey study was conducted in Beijing, China, collecting data on 437 subjects. Characteristics of the floating population and treatments of their illness conditions are examined using univariate and multivariate regression analysis.Results: Personal characteristics and healthcare of the floating population are examined in detail. It is found that the floating population has low insurance coverage and utilization rates. Multiple personal characteristics are identified as significantly associated with insurance utilization and medical expenditure.Conclusions: This study suggests the necessity of further improving healthcare and health insurance protection for the floating population. The identified significant characteristics may assist healthcare providers and other stakeholders identifying the less advantaged.
Highlights
China has a large floating population created by the fast urbanization and unique hukou system
This study was conducted as a part of the CSPH (China Survey on Pension and Healthcare), which is a collaborative effort by the Renmin University of China (RUC) and Yale School of Public Health
It is found that the floating population has low insurance coverage and utilization but high medical cost
Summary
China has a large floating population created by the fast urbanization and unique hukou system. There is often insufficient attention to healthcare of the floating population. China has been facing a unique floating population problem in the past two decades. Multiple definitions exist in the literature [1,2,3], the most commonly accepted is the one by the Census 2000, which defines the floating population as “individuals who have resided at the place of destination for at least 6 months without local household registration status” [4]. As can be partly seen from this definition, the uniqueness of the Chinese floating population is strongly associated with the “hukou” (household registration) system in China. It is expected that in the near future, the size of the floating population will remain large
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