title: The Chinese healthcare system: structure, problems and challenges.
abstract: We describe the structure and present situation of the Chinese healthcare system and discuss its primary problems and challenges. We discuss problems with inefficient burden sharing, adverse provider incentives and huge inequities, and seek explanations in the structural features of the Chinese healthcare system. The current situation will be further challenged in the future by an aging population, an increasing need for privatization and growing expectations about quality of healthcare.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Food and Resource Economics, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. jlh@foi.dk
authors.forename: Jens Leth
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Hougaard
authors.forename: Lars Peter
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Osterdal
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D002681:China; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005380:Financing, Government; D005382:Financing, Personal; D018166:Health Care Reform / Q000458:organization & administration; D005102:Health Expenditures; D054625:Healthcare Disparities; D006801:Humans; D012052:Reimbursement, Incentive; D012424:Rural Population; D000078329:Workforce