Analysis on Medical Insurance Impact on Chinese Rural Elders’ Health Demand / 中国卫生经济

ABSTRACT

The data is taken from Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey(CLHLS)between 2005 and 2008 to study health insurance’s impact on Chinese rural elders’ health demand. It found that health insurance significantly increased Chinese rural elders’ total health expenditure by 19%; however, it could neither significantly lengthen life expectancy nor decrease the risk of death. Chinese rural elders’ excessive demand induced by health insurance is probably inefficient. Therefore, to insure Chinese rural elders’ diseases could be treated, the government should improve medical security and control unreasonable increases in health service price.