Health Insurance Coverage and Its Impact on Medical Cost: Observations from the Floating Population in China

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 9; no. 11; p. e111555
• Main Authors: Zhao, Yinjun, Kang, Bowei, Liu, Yawen, Li, Yichong, Shi, Guoqing, Shen, Tao, Jiang, Yong, Zhang, Mei, Zhou, Maigeng, Wang, Limin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 11.11.2014; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Adult; Analysis; China; Chronic illnesses; Cost analysis; Disease control; Disease prevention; Economic aspects; Economics; Education; Epidemiology; Family Characteristics; Female; Floating; Health care access; Health care costs; Health care policy; Health Expenditures - statistics & numerical data; Health insurance; Health services; Health Services Needs and Demand - economics; Health surveillance; Humans; Income; Insurance; Insurance coverage; Insurance Coverage - statistics & numerical data; Insurance, Health - economics; Life insurance companies; Male; Medicine and Health Sciences; Migrant workers; Migration; Multivariate analysis; Population; Public health; Risk factors; Rural areas; Studies; Surveys; Surveys and Questionnaires; Transients and Migrants - statistics & numerical data; Urban areas; Young Adult; China
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0111555

China has the world's largest floating (migrant) population, which has characteristics largely different from the rest of the population. Our goal is to study health insurance coverage and its impact on medical cost for this population. A telephone survey was conducted in 2012. 644 subjects were surveyed. Univariate and multivariate analysis were conducted on insurance coverage and medical cost. 82.2% of the surveyed subjects were covered by basic insurance at hometowns with hukou or at residences. Subjects' characteristics including age, education, occupation, and presence of chronic diseases were associated with insurance coverage. After controlling for confounders, insurance coverage was not significantly associated with gross or out-of-pocket medical cost. For the floating population, health insurance coverage needs to be improved. Policy interventions are needed so that health insurance can have a more effective protective effect on cost.