Research on the Impact of Urban Resident Basic Medical Insurance on Unemployment / 中国卫生经济

Objective:It examined the impact of Urban Resident Basic Medical Insurance(URBMI) program launched in 2007 on labor supply.Methods:Using ordinary least square and instrumental variable estimation,the regression analysis was conducted on URBMI household survey data.Results:Although the URBMI increased the accessibility to medical services and decreased residents' financial burdens,the unemployment rate for residents with URBMI were increased by 13％.Conclusion:In respect to the problems of aging and labor force reduction in China,the policy-maker should not ignore the potential negative labor market outcomes while expanding public health insurance coverage.