The impact of the New Rural Cooperative Medical Scheme on the “health poverty alleviation” of rural households in China

This study investigates the impact of the New Rural Cooperative Medical Scheme (NRCMS) on rural households to escape poverty. We employ the instrumental variable method, the IVProbit model, to analyze the national data from the rural-resident field survey by the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) in...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Li-jian QIN, Chien-ping CHEN, Yu-heng LI, Yan-ming SUN, Hong CHEN
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: KeAi Communications Co., Ltd. 2021-04-01
Series:Journal of Integrative Agriculture
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S209531192063372X
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849251082182590464
author Li-jian QIN
Chien-ping CHEN
Yu-heng LI
Yan-ming SUN
Hong CHEN
author_facet Li-jian QIN
Chien-ping CHEN
Yu-heng LI
Yan-ming SUN
Hong CHEN
author_sort Li-jian QIN
collection DOAJ
description This study investigates the impact of the New Rural Cooperative Medical Scheme (NRCMS) on rural households to escape poverty. We employ the instrumental variable method, the IVProbit model, to analyze the national data from the rural-resident field survey by the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) in 2016. Based on the large-scale data, we found that, first, the hospitalization of family members is the key factor in increasing the risk of the family falling into poverty. The NRCMS has significantly reduced the likely risk of falling into poverty. Second, the impact of the NRCMS on poverty alleviation varies among groups with different levels of income. There is no impact on the upper-middle and high-income groups; in contrast, the NRCMS has substantially improved the capacity of low-income rural families to prevent poverty due to illness, especially for the lower-middle-income group. Third, there exist significant regional differences in the impact of NRCMS on the health poverty alleviation of rural households in China. The NRCMS has successfully reduced the risk of rural households in the western region falling into poverty, simultaneously, no significant impact on those in the eastern and central regions. In order to diminish and eliminate poverty eventually and boost rural residents’ capacity for income acquisition, we propose the following: raise the actual compensation ratio of the NRCMS, control the rising expense of NRCMS by promoting the payment method reform, construct the comprehensive healthcare system in the western region, strengthen the medical security for the poor in remote area, and enhance the living environment for rural residents.
format Article
id doaj-art-9edeba5cd5a044a8a8186317044f5d4b
institution Kabale University
issn 2095-3119
language English
publishDate 2021-04-01
publisher KeAi Communications Co., Ltd.
record_format Article
series Journal of Integrative Agriculture
spelling doaj-art-9edeba5cd5a044a8a8186317044f5d4b2025-08-20T03:57:03ZengKeAi Communications Co., Ltd.Journal of Integrative Agriculture2095-31192021-04-012041068107910.1016/S2095-3119(20)63372-XThe impact of the New Rural Cooperative Medical Scheme on the “health poverty alleviation” of rural households in ChinaLi-jian QIN0Chien-ping CHEN1Yu-heng LI2Yan-ming SUN3Hong CHEN4Research Center for Health Economics, Anhui University of Finance and Economics, Bengbu 233000, P.R. ChinaSchool of Business Administration, University of Houston-Victoria, Sugar Land 77449, USAInstitute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, P.R. China; Correspondence LI Yu-hengInstitute for Global Innovation and Development/Institute of Eco-Chongming/School of Urban and Regional Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, P.R. ChinaSchool of Languages and Media, Anhui University of Finance and Economics, Bengbu 233000, P.R. China; Correspondence CHEN Hong, Tel: +86-552-3113120This study investigates the impact of the New Rural Cooperative Medical Scheme (NRCMS) on rural households to escape poverty. We employ the instrumental variable method, the IVProbit model, to analyze the national data from the rural-resident field survey by the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) in 2016. Based on the large-scale data, we found that, first, the hospitalization of family members is the key factor in increasing the risk of the family falling into poverty. The NRCMS has significantly reduced the likely risk of falling into poverty. Second, the impact of the NRCMS on poverty alleviation varies among groups with different levels of income. There is no impact on the upper-middle and high-income groups; in contrast, the NRCMS has substantially improved the capacity of low-income rural families to prevent poverty due to illness, especially for the lower-middle-income group. Third, there exist significant regional differences in the impact of NRCMS on the health poverty alleviation of rural households in China. The NRCMS has successfully reduced the risk of rural households in the western region falling into poverty, simultaneously, no significant impact on those in the eastern and central regions. In order to diminish and eliminate poverty eventually and boost rural residents’ capacity for income acquisition, we propose the following: raise the actual compensation ratio of the NRCMS, control the rising expense of NRCMS by promoting the payment method reform, construct the comprehensive healthcare system in the western region, strengthen the medical security for the poor in remote area, and enhance the living environment for rural residents.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S209531192063372XNew Rural Cooperative Medical Schemerural householdshealth poverty alleviation
spellingShingle Li-jian QIN
Chien-ping CHEN
Yu-heng LI
Yan-ming SUN
Hong CHEN
The impact of the New Rural Cooperative Medical Scheme on the “health poverty alleviation” of rural households in China
Journal of Integrative Agriculture
New Rural Cooperative Medical Scheme
rural households
health poverty alleviation
title The impact of the New Rural Cooperative Medical Scheme on the “health poverty alleviation” of rural households in China
title_full The impact of the New Rural Cooperative Medical Scheme on the “health poverty alleviation” of rural households in China
title_fullStr The impact of the New Rural Cooperative Medical Scheme on the “health poverty alleviation” of rural households in China
title_full_unstemmed The impact of the New Rural Cooperative Medical Scheme on the “health poverty alleviation” of rural households in China
title_short The impact of the New Rural Cooperative Medical Scheme on the “health poverty alleviation” of rural households in China
title_sort impact of the new rural cooperative medical scheme on the health poverty alleviation of rural households in china
topic New Rural Cooperative Medical Scheme
rural households
health poverty alleviation
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S209531192063372X
work_keys_str_mv AT lijianqin theimpactofthenewruralcooperativemedicalschemeonthehealthpovertyalleviationofruralhouseholdsinchina
AT chienpingchen theimpactofthenewruralcooperativemedicalschemeonthehealthpovertyalleviationofruralhouseholdsinchina
AT yuhengli theimpactofthenewruralcooperativemedicalschemeonthehealthpovertyalleviationofruralhouseholdsinchina
AT yanmingsun theimpactofthenewruralcooperativemedicalschemeonthehealthpovertyalleviationofruralhouseholdsinchina
AT hongchen theimpactofthenewruralcooperativemedicalschemeonthehealthpovertyalleviationofruralhouseholdsinchina
AT lijianqin impactofthenewruralcooperativemedicalschemeonthehealthpovertyalleviationofruralhouseholdsinchina
AT chienpingchen impactofthenewruralcooperativemedicalschemeonthehealthpovertyalleviationofruralhouseholdsinchina
AT yuhengli impactofthenewruralcooperativemedicalschemeonthehealthpovertyalleviationofruralhouseholdsinchina
AT yanmingsun impactofthenewruralcooperativemedicalschemeonthehealthpovertyalleviationofruralhouseholdsinchina
AT hongchen impactofthenewruralcooperativemedicalschemeonthehealthpovertyalleviationofruralhouseholdsinchina