Utilization and cost of outpatient care and their influencing factors among middle and aged peasant-workers in China / 北京大学学报(医学版)

ABSTRACT

Objective:To examine the utilization and cost of outpatient care and their influencing fac-tors among middle and aged peasant-workers in China. Methods:The data of China Health and Retire-ment Longitudinal Study ( CHARLS) collected in 2011-2012 were used and the data on peasant-workers aged 45 years and older were analyzed with Two-part Model. Results: The four-week outpatient rate of middle and aged peasant-workers was 13. 7% (407/2 974). The determinants of the rate included gen-der, marital status, economic level, household size, the place of insurance enrollment, self-assessed health and having or having no chronic diseases. The average outpatient cost was (400. 3 ± 56. 7) yuan (RMB) and the median was 138. 0 yuan. Multivariate analyses showed that outpatient costs were higher for those males who lived in Eastern China and worked at the same place with insurance enrollment, with fair to bad self-assessed health and chronic diseases. Conclusion:Allowing higher flexibility for migrants to transfer the new rural cooperative medical system ( NCMS ) between rural and urban areas and thus making reimbursement for medical services provided by undesignated providers received immediately could increase the use of outpatient services.