title: Socioeconomic inequities in health care utilization in China.
abstract: The study assessed the present degree of inequity in health care utilization as well as the contributions of the main determinants in the context of expending health insurance coverage in China. Data were obtained from the 2008 National Health Services Survey (NHSS) in China. A concentration index was used to quantify the degree of income-related inequity in health care utilization. The need-standardized concentration indexes of outpatient care and inpatient care were 0.015 and 0.197, respectively. Income made the largest contribution to inequity favoring the better-off in the use of health care. The impacts of health insurance schemes on overall inequity varied according to the insurance memberships as well as types of services. The study revealed a pro-rich distribution of the probability of health care across income groups in China. Increased financial protection ability of medical insurance system remains a vital cornerstone to tackle the health care utilization inequity.
authors.affiliation: Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China wuqunhong@163.com peter.coyte@utoronto.ca.
authors.forename: Qunhong
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: The Second People's Hospital of Yibin, Yibin, Sichuan.
authors.forename: Yongxiang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.affiliation: Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
authors.forename: Wenqi
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.affiliation: Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
authors.forename: Guoxiang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Peter C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Coyte
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002681:China; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006296:Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D054625:Healthcare Disparities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007348:Insurance, Health / Q000458:organization & administration; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009313:National Health Programs; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: China; health care services; health equity; inequalities in health; social determinants of health