IMPACT OF THE ECONOMIC ACCESSIBILITY OF HEALTH SERVICES ON THE HEALTH OF THE ELDERLY IN CHINA

Abstract

China is entering an aging society. An aging society will create a huge demand for healthcare services and increase healthcare costs for the entire society. Therefore, it is crucial to explore the factors that influence the health of the elderly. This study uses a sample from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) and employs a panel fixed-effects regression model to examine the impact of economic accessibility to healthcare services on the health of the elderly. The empirical results show that the economic accessibility of healthcare services has a significant impact on the health of the elderly. In the heterogeneity analysis section, this study demonstrated that the improvement effect of healthcare accessibility on the health of rural residents is more significant. Additionally, this study found that for elderly individuals over the age of 80, the effect of economic accessibility on health improvement is no longer significant. Therefore, financial support for medical insurance should be increased, further raising the reimbursement rates for healthcare services for Chinese residents.