Dynamics of social health insurance development: Examining the determinants of Chinese basic health insurance coverage with panel data

Jun-Qiang Liu

Social Science & Medicine, 2011, vol. 73, issue 4, 550-558

Abstract: Social health insurance (SHI) is gaining popularity in many developing countries, but there are few systematic empirical studies on the dynamics of SHI development. This study investigates the determinants of coverage of the Basic Healthcare Insurance for Urban Employees (BHI) in China. Using a panel database ranging from 1999 to 2007, the study finds that: (1) economic development plays a valuable role in BHI development; (2) strong financial capacity and administrative capacity in the government contributes to BHI progress; (3) higher trade union density is closely related to more rapid BHI expansion; and (4) taxation agencies are better at collecting SHI premiums. These findings provide evidence-based lessons for new and ongoing SHI programs. In addition, this article aims to make a more general contribution to the study of social policy development by expanding the scope of current theories on social policy development.

Keywords: China; Social; health; insurance; Coverage; State; capacity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2011
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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