Catastrophic health expenditure and its association with socioeconomic status in China: evidence from the 2011-2018 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

An increase in healthcare utilization in response to universal health coverage may leave massive economic burden on individuals and households. Identifying catastrophic health expenditure helps us understand such burden. This study aims to examine the incidence of catastrophic health expenditure at various thresholds, explore its trend over years, and investigate whether it varies across socioeconomic status (SES).

Methods

Data used in this study were from four waves of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS): 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2018. SES was measured by annual per-capita household expenditure, which was then divided into quintiles (Quintile 1 (Q1): the poorest - Quintile 5 (Q5): the wealthiest). Catastrophic health expenditure was measured

SUBMITTER: Li X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10515247 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature