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International Journal for Equity in Health
Published in: International Journal for Equity in Health 1/2016

Open Access 01-12-2016 | Research

The effect of NCMS on catastrophic health expenditure and impoverishment from tuberculosis care in China

Authors: Chengchao Zhou, Qian Long, Jiaying Chen, Li Xiang, Qiang Li, Shenglan Tang, Fei Huang, Qiang Sun, Henry Lucas, Shitong Huan

Published in: International Journal for Equity in Health | Issue 1/2016

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Abstract

Background

Health expenditure for tuberculosis (TB) care often pushes households into catastrophe and poverty. New Cooperative Medical Scheme (NCMS) aims to protect households from catastrophic health expenditure (CHE) and impoverishment in rural China. This article assesses the effect of NCMS on relieving CHE and impoverishment from TB care in rural China.

Methods

Three hundred fourty-seven TB cases are included in the analysis. We analyze the incidence and intensity of CHE and poverty, and assess the protective effect of NCMS by comparing the CHE and impoverishment before and after reimbursement.

Results

After out-of-pocket (OOP) payment for TB care, 16.1 % of non-poor fall below poverty line. The NCMS reduces the incidence of CHE and impoverishment by 11.5 % and 7.3 %. After reimbursement, 46.7 % of the households still experience CHE and 35.4 % are below the poverty line. The NCMS relieves the mean gap, mean positive gap, poverty gap and normalized positive gap by 44.5 %, 51.0 %, US$115.8 and 31.6 % respectively.

Conclusions

The NCMS has partial effect on protecting households from CHE and impoverishment from TB care. The limited protection could be enhanced by redesigning benefit coverage to improve the “height” of the NCMS and representing fee-for-service with alternative payment mechanisms.
Appendix
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Footnotes
1
A currency exchange rate of Chinese RMB 6.28 Yuan to US$1 Yuan (at the end of 2012), and it is the same below.
 
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Metadata
Title
The effect of NCMS on catastrophic health expenditure and impoverishment from tuberculosis care in China
Authors
Chengchao Zhou
Qian Long
Jiaying Chen
Li Xiang
Qiang Li
Shenglan Tang
Fei Huang
Qiang Sun
Henry Lucas
Shitong Huan
Publication date
01-12-2016
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
International Journal for Equity in Health / Issue 1/2016
Electronic ISSN: 1475-9276
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-016-0463-0

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