ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: In 2003, China established a New Rural Cooperative Medical System (NRCMS) for rural residents to alleviate the burden of medical expenses among rural residents. However, its reimbursement for high medical costs was insufficient. Therefore, China gradually established the Serious Illness Insurance System (SIMIS) based on NRCMS. After receiving payment through NRCMS, patients in rural areas who met the requirements of SIMIS policy would receive a second payment for their high medical expenses. This study aimed to analyze the effect of the implementation of SIMIS on alleviating the economic burden of rural residents in Jinzhai County. METHODS: The study used the inpatient reimbursement data of NRCMS in Jinzhai County, Anhui Province, from 2013 to 2016. We adopted descriptive and regression discontinuity (RD) methods to analyze the payment effect of SIMIS. The RD analysis targeted patients (n = 7353) whose annual serious illness expenses were between CNY 10,000 (1414 USD) and CNY 30,000 (4242 USD), whereas the descriptive analysis was used for data of the patients compensated by SIMIS (n = 2720). RESULTS: The results of RD showed that the actual medical insurance payment proportion increased by about 2.5% (lwald = 0.025, P < 0.01), inside medical insurance self-payment proportion increased by about 2% (lwald = 0.020, P < 0.10), and outside medical insurance self-payment proportion decreased by about 1.6% (lwald = - 0.016, P < 0.05). The descriptive results showed that patients with serious illnesses mostly chose to go to a hospital outside the county. The annual average number of hospitalizations was 3.64. The reimbursement mainly came from the NRCMS. The payment amount of SIMIS was relatively small, and the out-of-pocket medical expenses were still high. CONCLUSION: The medical technology level of Jinzhai County could not meet the needs of patients with seriously illnesses, the number of beneficiaries of SIMIS was small, and the ability to relieve the burden of medical expenses of the rural residents was insufficient. The high out-of-pocket expenses increased the possibility that only people with good economic conditions could benefit from the reimbursement of SIMIS, resulting in inequity.
Subject(s)
Cost of Illness , Insurance, Health/economics , Rural Health/economics , China , Female , Health Expenditures , Hospital Costs , Hospitalization/economics , Humans , Inpatients , Rural PopulationABSTRACT
Objective To explore the application of Monte Carlo simulation in optimizing and adjusting the reimbursement scheme with regard to the New Rural Cooperative Medical System (NCMS)to scientific steering practice. Optimization of the reimbursement scheme in rural areas of China was also studied. Methods A multi-stage sampling household survey was conducted in Sihui county,with 4 433 rural residents from 1 179 households from 13 towns in Guangdong province surveyed by self-designed questionnaire. Probit Regression Model was applied in fitting data and then estimating the own-price elasticity and cross elasticity of healthcare demand for both outpatients and inpatients. Monte Carlo simulation model was constructed to estimate the reimbursement effects of various alternative reimbursement schemes,by replicated simulation for one thousand times and each sampling on five hundred households. In this way,optimization of the implemented reimbursement scheme in Sihui county was conducted. Results Own-priced elasticity of demands for outpatient visit,inpatient visit in the township hospital center,secondary hospital and tertiary hospital were-0.174,-0.264,-0.675 and -0.429,respectively. Outpatient demand was affected by the per-visit price of township hospital center and secondary hospital. The cross-priced elasticity of demands for outpatient visit appeared to be 0.125 and 0.150. The reimbursement effects of Scheme B7 showed that the efficiency of NCMS fund was 17.85%,the reimbursement ratio for healthcare was 25.63%,and the decreased percentages of poverty caused by illness was 18.25%,more than 9.37%, from the implemented scheme A. So the implemented scheme was in need for optimization. Conclusion Monte Carlo simulation technique was applicable to simulate the effects of the optimized alternative reimbursement scheme of NCMS and it provided a new idea and method to optimize and adjust the reimbursement scheme.
ABSTRACT
Objective To explore the application of Monte Carlo simulation in optimizing and adjusting the reimbursement scheme with regard to the New Rural Cooperative Medical System (NCMS)to scientific steering practice. Optimization of the reimbursement scheme in rural areas of China was also studied. Methods A multi-stage sampling household survey was conducted in Sihui county,with 4 433 rural residents from 1 179 households from 13 towns in Guangdong province surveyed by self-designed questionnaire. Probit Regression Model was applied in fitting data and then estimating the own-price elasticity and cross elasticity of healthcare demand for both outpatients and inpatients. Monte Carlo simulation model was constructed to estimate the reimbursement effects of various alternative reimbursement schemes,by replicated simulation for one thousand times and each sampling on five hundred households. In this way,optimization of the implemented reimbursement scheme in Sihui county was conducted. Results Own-priced elasticity of demands for outpatient visit,inpatient visit in the township hospital center,secondary hospital and tertiary hospital were-0.174,-0.264,-0.675 and -0.429,respectively. Outpatient demand was affected by the per-visit price of township hospital center and secondary hospital. The cross-priced elasticity of demands for outpatient visit appeared to be 0.125 and 0.150. The reimbursement effects of Scheme B7 showed that the efficiency of NCMS fund was 17.85%,the reimbursement ratio for healthcare was 25.63%,and the decreased percentages of poverty caused by illness was 18.25%,more than 9.37%, from the implemented scheme A. So the implemented scheme was in need for optimization. Conclusion Monte Carlo simulation technique was applicable to simulate the effects of the optimized alternative reimbursement scheme of NCMS and it provided a new idea and method to optimize and adjust the reimbursement scheme.
