Medical insurance integration and rural-urban benefit disparities, 2006-2021: evidence from quasi-natural experiments in China.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

To assess the impact of China's medical insurance integration policy on urban-rural disparities in medical insurance benefit levels, explore its heterogeneous effects in regions with different economic development levels and provide empirical evidence for promoting health equity.

Design

Retrospective panel data analysis using a quasi-natural experiment. Causal inference was conducted using propensity score matching-staggered difference in differences (PSM-staggered DID) method with time-varying policy variables.

Setting

Provincial-level analysis covering 31 provinces in China, using administrative data from 2006 to 2021.

Participants

31 Chinese provinces with complete annual data on medical insurance and economic indicators from 2006 to 2021, yieldin

SUBMITTER: Yan J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12366601 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature