Abstract
BackgroundImproving health equity is a fundamental goal for establishing social health insurance. This article evaluated the benefits of the Integration of Social Medical Insurance (ISMI) policy for health services utilization in rural China.MethodsUsing the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal study (2011‒2018), we estimated the changes in rates and equity in health services utilization by a generalized linear mixed model, concentration curves, concentration indices, and a horizontal inequity index before and after the introduction of the ISMI policy.ResultsFor the changes in rates, the generalized linear mixed model showed that the rate of inpatient health services utilization (IHSU) nearly doubled after the introduction of the ISMI policy (8.78 % vs. 16.58 %), while the rate of outpatient health services utilization (OHSU) decreased (20.25 % vs. 16.35 %) after the implementation of the policy. For the changes in inequity, the concentration index of OHSU decreased significantly from − 0.0636 (95 % CL: −0.0846, − 0.0430) before the policy to − 0.0457 (95 % CL: −0.0684, − 0.0229) after it. In addition, the horizontal inequity index decreased from − 0.0284 before the implementation of the policy to − 0.0171 after it, indicating that the inequity of OHSU was further reduced. The concentration index of IHSU increased significantly from − 0.0532 (95 % CL: −0.0868, − 0.0196) before the policy was implemented to − 0.1105 (95 % CL: −0.1333, − 0.0876) afterwards; the horizontal inequity index of IHSU increased from − 0.0066 before policy implementation to − 0.0595 afterwards, indicating that more low-income participants utilized inpatient services after the policy came into effect.ConclusionsThe ISMI policy had a positive effect on improving the rate of IHSU but not on the rate of OHSU. This is in line with this policy’s original intention of focusing on inpatient service rather than outpatients to achieve its principal goal of preventing catastrophic health expenditure. The ISMI policy had a positive effect on reducing the inequity in OHSU but a negative effect on the decrease in inequity in IHSU. Further research is needed to verify this change. This research on the effects of integration policy implementation may be useful to policy makers and has important policy implications for other developing countries facing similar challenges on the road to universal health coverage.
Highlights
Improving health equity is a fundamental goal for establishing social health insurance
The Integration of Social Medical Insurance (ISMI) policy had a positive effect on improving the rate of inpatient health services utilization (IHSU) but not on the rate of outpatient health services utilization (OHSU)
This research on the effects of integration policy implementation may be useful to policy makers and has important policy implications for other developing countries facing similar challenges on the road to universal health coverage
Summary
Improving health equity is a fundamental goal for establishing social health insurance. This article evaluated the benefits of the Integration of Social Medical Insurance (ISMI) policy for health services utilization in rural China. It is important to pay attention to their health service utilization status and related improving strategies in order to prospectively respond to the issues of healthcare resource allocation due to the aging of the rural population. To maintain the living standard of aging people and reduce their risk of poverty and ill health in later life, establishing a universal social medical insurance (SMI) has become an important strategy to improve this population’s utilization of healthcare services [7, 8]. It is hypothesized that health services utilization in rural areas will increase after implementing the Integration of Social Medical Insurance (ISMI) policy
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
