Researchers at University of New South Wales Sydney Target Insurance (Life Satisfaction of Middle-aged and Older Chinese: the Role of Health and Health Insurance): Insurance

2022 APR 22 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Health Policy and Law Daily -- Research findings on Insurance are discussed in a new report. According to news reporting originating in Kensington, Australia, by NewsRx journalists, research stated, “The Chinese government has launched a series of health reforms to establish universal health insurance coverage, particularly for vulnerable groups, including middle-aged and older adults. However, the current public health insurance system is highly fragmented, consisting of different programs with different levels of premiums and benefits.”

Financial support for this research came from Australian Research Council.

The news reporters obtained a quote from the research from the University of New South Wales Sydney, “We analyse whether the universal health insurance system increases the life satisfaction of middle-aged and older Chinese people and to what extent the type of health insurance affects the life satisfaction of this group. Our study is based on data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, a nationally representative longitudinal survey of Chinese aged 45 and above, in 2011, 2013, and 2015. We find that the life satisfaction of middle-aged and older adults does not depend on having any health insurance coverage but varies with the type of health insurance coverage, controlling for potential confounding variables such as health status, occupation, hukou status, and other demographic variables. Individuals covered by the most generous program, the Government Medical Insurance, reported a higher life satisfaction. In comparison, individuals covered by the Urban Employee Medical Insurance, the Urban Resident Medical Insurance, and the New Rural Cooperative Scheme reported a lower life satisfaction by 0.155, 0.106, and 0.112 standard deviations, respectively.”

According to the news reporters, the research concluded: “Our results suggest that establishing a more equitable health insurance system should be the next step in health reforms in China.”

This research has been peer-reviewed.

For more information on this research see: Life Satisfaction of Middle-aged and Older Chinese: the Role of Health and Health Insurance. Social Indicators Research, 2022;160:601-624. Social Indicators Research can be contacted at: Springer, Van Godewijckstraat 30, 3311 Gz Dordrecht, Netherlands. (Springer - www.springer.com; Social Indicators Research - http://www.springerlink.com/content/0303-8300/)

Our news correspondents report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Sisi Yang, University of New South Wales Sydney, Arc Ctr Excellence Populat Ageing Res Cepar, Bldg L5, 223 Anzac Parade, Kensington, Nsw 2033, Australia.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-020-02390-z. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.

(Our reports deliver fact-based news of research and discoveries from around the world.)