ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To study the impact of primary care oriented outpatient benefits package design of outpatient services coverage and ladder reimbursement of county, town and village levels in the new rural cooperative medical system (NRCMs) on hypertension outpatient services utilization. METHODS: The panel data of treatment and control groups in 2009 and 2011 before and after the policy reform were drawn from the household survey data of the innovative payment system project. The difference in difference (DID) method was used for data analysis. The outcome indicators included the utilization of outpatient services of patients with self-reported hypertension and their main treatment locations. RESULTS: The primary care oriented outpatient benefit package design in the NRCMs reduced the probability of no treatment in the latest three months of hypertension by 10.2 percent points. Meanwhile, it increased the probability of choosing village clinic as the preferred location by 15.7 percent points. CONCLUSION: Primary care oriented outpatient benefits package design lead patients with hypertension to use the nearest outpatient services at low risk of disease.
