Can medical insurance coverage reduce disparities of income in elderly patients requiring long-term care? The case of the People’s Republic of China

Zhenyu Zhang,1 Jianbing Wang,1 Mingjuan Jin,1 Mei Li,1 Litao Zhou,2 Fangyuan Jing,1 Kun Chen1 1Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Zhejiang University, Zhejiang, People’s Republic of China; 2Quality Control Department, Zhejiang Hosp...

Descripción completa

Guardado en:
Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Zhang ZY, Wang JB, Jin MJ, Li M, Zhou LT, Jing FY, Chen K
Formato: article
Lenguaje:EN
Publicado: Dove Medical Press 2014
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://doaj.org/article/24a771546880411b9e58ca292679b0fe
Etiquetas: Agregar Etiqueta
Sin Etiquetas, Sea el primero en etiquetar este registro!
id oai:doaj.org-article:24a771546880411b9e58ca292679b0fe
record_format dspace
spelling oai:doaj.org-article:24a771546880411b9e58ca292679b0fe2021-12-02T01:48:44ZCan medical insurance coverage reduce disparities of income in elderly patients requiring long-term care? The case of the People’s Republic of China1178-1998https://doaj.org/article/24a771546880411b9e58ca292679b0fe2014-05-01T00:00:00Zhttps://www.dovepress.com/can-medical-insurance-coverage-reduce-disparities-of-income-in-elderly-peer-reviewed-article-CIAhttps://doaj.org/toc/1178-1998Zhenyu Zhang,1 Jianbing Wang,1 Mingjuan Jin,1 Mei Li,1 Litao Zhou,2 Fangyuan Jing,1 Kun Chen1 1Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Zhejiang University, Zhejiang, People’s Republic of China; 2Quality Control Department, Zhejiang Hospital, Zhejiang, People’s Republic of China Background: The People’s Republic of China’s population is aging rapidly, partly because of the impact of the one-child policy and improvements in the health care system. Caring for bedridden seniors can be a challenge for many families in the People’s Republic of China.Objective: To identify the inequality of income among different age groups and social statuses, and evaluate the medical burden and health insurance compensation in the People’s Republic of China.Methods: We measured income inequality and insurance compensation levels among bedridden patients in Zhejiang province, People’s Republic of China. Factor analysis and Gini coefficients were used to evaluate degree of income inequality and insurance compensation level.Results: We found distinct regional disparities in Zhejiang province, including the aspects of income, expenses, and time. Gini coefficients of older adults with long-term care needs in urban and rural areas were 0.335 and 0.602, respectively. In all age groups, Gini coefficients increased after adjustment for medical expenditures, and the inequality persisted after insurance reimbursement was taken into consideration.Conclusion: A significant income disparity between rural and urban areas was observed. Inequality increased with age, and medical expenditure is a huge burden for older people with long-term care needs. Health insurance does not play an important role in reducing inequalities among patients who need long-term care services. Keywords: Gini coefficient, bedridden, long-term care, insuranceZhang ZYWang JBJin MJLi MZhou LTJing FYChen KDove Medical PressarticleGini coefficientbedriddernlong-term careinsuranceGeriatricsRC952-954.6ENClinical Interventions in Aging, Vol Volume 9, Pp 771-777 (2014)
institution DOAJ
collection DOAJ
language EN
topic Gini coefficient
bedriddern
long-term care
insurance
Geriatrics
RC952-954.6
spellingShingle Gini coefficient
bedriddern
long-term care
insurance
Geriatrics
RC952-954.6
Zhang ZY
Wang JB
Jin MJ
Li M
Zhou LT
Jing FY
Chen K
Can medical insurance coverage reduce disparities of income in elderly patients requiring long-term care? The case of the People’s Republic of China
description Zhenyu Zhang,1 Jianbing Wang,1 Mingjuan Jin,1 Mei Li,1 Litao Zhou,2 Fangyuan Jing,1 Kun Chen1 1Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Zhejiang University, Zhejiang, People’s Republic of China; 2Quality Control Department, Zhejiang Hospital, Zhejiang, People’s Republic of China Background: The People’s Republic of China’s population is aging rapidly, partly because of the impact of the one-child policy and improvements in the health care system. Caring for bedridden seniors can be a challenge for many families in the People’s Republic of China.Objective: To identify the inequality of income among different age groups and social statuses, and evaluate the medical burden and health insurance compensation in the People’s Republic of China.Methods: We measured income inequality and insurance compensation levels among bedridden patients in Zhejiang province, People’s Republic of China. Factor analysis and Gini coefficients were used to evaluate degree of income inequality and insurance compensation level.Results: We found distinct regional disparities in Zhejiang province, including the aspects of income, expenses, and time. Gini coefficients of older adults with long-term care needs in urban and rural areas were 0.335 and 0.602, respectively. In all age groups, Gini coefficients increased after adjustment for medical expenditures, and the inequality persisted after insurance reimbursement was taken into consideration.Conclusion: A significant income disparity between rural and urban areas was observed. Inequality increased with age, and medical expenditure is a huge burden for older people with long-term care needs. Health insurance does not play an important role in reducing inequalities among patients who need long-term care services. Keywords: Gini coefficient, bedridden, long-term care, insurance
format article
author Zhang ZY
Wang JB
Jin MJ
Li M
Zhou LT
Jing FY
Chen K
author_facet Zhang ZY
Wang JB
Jin MJ
Li M
Zhou LT
Jing FY
Chen K
author_sort Zhang ZY
title Can medical insurance coverage reduce disparities of income in elderly patients requiring long-term care? The case of the People’s Republic of China
title_short Can medical insurance coverage reduce disparities of income in elderly patients requiring long-term care? The case of the People’s Republic of China
title_full Can medical insurance coverage reduce disparities of income in elderly patients requiring long-term care? The case of the People’s Republic of China
title_fullStr Can medical insurance coverage reduce disparities of income in elderly patients requiring long-term care? The case of the People’s Republic of China
title_full_unstemmed Can medical insurance coverage reduce disparities of income in elderly patients requiring long-term care? The case of the People’s Republic of China
title_sort can medical insurance coverage reduce disparities of income in elderly patients requiring long-term care? the case of the people’s republic of china
publisher Dove Medical Press
publishDate 2014
url https://doaj.org/article/24a771546880411b9e58ca292679b0fe
work_keys_str_mv AT zhangzy canmedicalinsurancecoveragereducedisparitiesofincomeinelderlypatientsrequiringlongtermcarethecaseofthepeoplersquosrepublicofchina
AT wangjb canmedicalinsurancecoveragereducedisparitiesofincomeinelderlypatientsrequiringlongtermcarethecaseofthepeoplersquosrepublicofchina
AT jinmj canmedicalinsurancecoveragereducedisparitiesofincomeinelderlypatientsrequiringlongtermcarethecaseofthepeoplersquosrepublicofchina
AT lim canmedicalinsurancecoveragereducedisparitiesofincomeinelderlypatientsrequiringlongtermcarethecaseofthepeoplersquosrepublicofchina
AT zhoult canmedicalinsurancecoveragereducedisparitiesofincomeinelderlypatientsrequiringlongtermcarethecaseofthepeoplersquosrepublicofchina
AT jingfy canmedicalinsurancecoveragereducedisparitiesofincomeinelderlypatientsrequiringlongtermcarethecaseofthepeoplersquosrepublicofchina
AT chenk canmedicalinsurancecoveragereducedisparitiesofincomeinelderlypatientsrequiringlongtermcarethecaseofthepeoplersquosrepublicofchina
_version_ 1718402884367810560