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BMC Health Services Research
Published in: BMC Health Services Research 1/2016

Open Access 01-12-2016 | Research article

Effects of China’s New Rural Cooperative Medical Scheme on reducing medical impoverishment in rural Yanbian: An alternative approach

Authors: Mei Sun, Jay J. Shen, Chengyue Li, Christopher Cochran, Ying Wang, Fei Chen, Pingping Li, Jun Lu, Fengshui Chang, Xiaohong Li, Mo Hao

Published in: BMC Health Services Research | Issue 1/2016

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Abstract

Backgroud

This study aimed to measure the poverty head count ratio and poverty gap of rural Yanbian in order to examine whether China’s New Rural Cooperative Medical Scheme has alleviated its medical impoverishment and to compare the results of this alternative approach with those of a World Bank approach.

Methods

This cross-sectional study was based on a stratified random sample survey of 1,987 households and 6,135 individuals conducted in 2008 across eight counties in Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture, Jilin province, China. A new approach was developed to define and identify medical impoverishment. The poverty head count ratio, relative poverty gap, and average poverty gap were used to measure medical impoverishment. Changes in medical impoverishment after the reimbursement under the New Rural Cooperative Medical Scheme were also examined.

Results

The government-run New Rural Cooperative Medical Scheme reduced the number of medically impoverished households by 24.6 %, as well as the relative and average gaps by 37.3 % and 38.9 %, respectively.

Conclusions

China’s New Rural Cooperative Medical Scheme has certain positive but limited effects on alleviating medical impoverishment in rural Yanbian regardless of how medical impoverishment is defined and measured. More governmental and private-sector efforts should therefore be encouraged to further improve the system in terms of financing, operation, and reimbursement policy.
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Metadata
Title
Effects of China’s New Rural Cooperative Medical Scheme on reducing medical impoverishment in rural Yanbian: An alternative approach
Authors
Mei Sun
Jay J. Shen
Chengyue Li
Christopher Cochran
Ying Wang
Fei Chen
Pingping Li
Jun Lu
Fengshui Chang
Xiaohong Li
Mo Hao
Publication date
01-12-2016
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Health Services Research / Issue 1/2016
Electronic ISSN: 1472-6963
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-016-1660-7

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