title: Correlation Between New Cooperative Medical Scheme Policy Design and Catastrophic Medical Payment: Evidence From 25 Counties in Rural China.
abstract: Few studies have examined the association between the New Cooperative Medical Scheme (NCMS) policy design and its achievement of providing financial protection to rural residents. This study collected data on NCMS policy design and health care spending from 25 counties and rural households in their catchment areas. It shows that on average, NCMS has a growing but small effect on the reduction of catastrophic medical payment (CMP) incidence. If outpatient spending can be reimbursed from an NCMS pooled account, the incidence of CMP before a reimbursement and that after a reimbursement will be reduced. Higher nominal reimbursement rate for inpatient spending at provincial hospitals is correlated with higher incidence of CMP before a reimbursement. Higher ceiling for annual reimbursement from NCMS is associated with lower incidence of CMP after a reimbursement. Thus, NCMS policy design can be improved to strengthen its effects on the reduction of CMP incidence.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Linxiu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Shaoping
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China yihm.ccap@igsnrr.ac.cn.
authors.forename: Hongmei
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yi
authors.affiliation: New York University, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Luisa Majnoni
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: d'Intignano
authors.affiliation: School of Governance, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China National Health and Family Planning Commission, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Yilei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ding
mesh_terms: D002388:Catastrophic Illness / Q000191:economics*; D002681:China; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005102:Health Expenditures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D009313:National Health Programs / Q000191:economics*; D012051:Reimbursement Mechanisms; D012424:Rural Population
keywords: New Cooperative Medical Scheme; catastrophic medical payments; policy design; rural China; variation