Too little, but not too late? Health reform in rural China and the limits of experimentalism

Abstract

This article provides a preliminary evaluation of health care reforms in rural China, with particular focus on villagers’ perceptions of the quality of care and the rural health insurance programme. Based on semi-structured interviews and an original survey of villagers in three provinces, this study suggests that, although recent reforms may have somewhat reduced the out-of-pocket cost of catastrophic illness, rural health systems continue to suffer from serious deficiencies. By examining villagers’ perceptions of health care, this article argues that initial conditions and incentive structures interact with local policy styles to impede effective health care reform in rural China.