Unequal benefits
The effects of health insurance integration on consumption inequality in rural China
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22071850 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Linlin Han (0009-0002-4428-1556, Shandong Normal University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 13 |
| Pages | 1490393-1490393 |
| Publication date | 2025-05-02 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Frontiers in Public Health (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2296-2565 • E-ISSN: 2296-2565 |
| Publisher | Frontiers Media SA (PUBLISHER • CH) |
| DOI | 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1490393 |
| PMID | 40385630 |
| OpenAlex | W4410040491 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
| References cited | 54 |
Introduction: Unlocking the consumption potential of rural residents and narrowing the consumption gap is crucial for expanding domestic demand and enhancing social equity. This study examined how integrating Urban-Rural Residents Medical Insurance (URRMI) affected consumption inequality among rural residents and its underlying mechanisms. Methods: We analyzed 17,092 observations from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) 2012-2018. Consumption inequality was measured using the Kakwani relative deprivation index. A staggered difference-in-differences (DID) design with high-dimensional fixed effects was employed to analyze the impact of the urban-rural health insurance integration policy on consumption inequality. Robustness checks such as placebo tests, heterogeneity in treatment effects, and spatial spillover analyses were addressed. Results: The findings reveal that the policy significantly raises consumption levels among middle and high-income groups while concurrently reducing expenditures for the lowest-income bracket, exacerbating consumption inequality. Heterogeneity analysis indicates that the impact of urban-rural health insurance integration on rural consumption inequality is manifested in both consumption structure and life-cycle effects, with the most significant disparities observed in subsistence and enjoyment consumption, particularly among middle-aged and older age groups. Mechanism analysis identifies increased utilization of medical services, the release of precautionary savings among middle and high-income cohorts, and variations in health insurance funding modalities as key drivers of the widening consumption inequality gap. Discussion: The study concludes with recommendations to promote the establishment of parity in urban-rural integrated health insurance and to prioritize policy support for vulnerable groups, especially the older adult and impoverished households
Demographic economics · Economic growth · Economic inequality · Economics · Environmental health · Health care · Health equity · Inequality · Socioeconomics · China's Socioeconomic Reforms and Governance · Healthcare Systems and Reforms · Intergenerational Family Dynamics and Caregiving · Medicine
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| Unique citing works | 3 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 3 |
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 3 |