School of Economics and Management, Huzhou University, Huzhou, China.
Research Center for Economy of Upper Reaches of the Yangtse River/School of Economics, Chongqing Technology and Business University, Chongqing, China.
Front Public Health. 2022 May 4;10:876088. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.876088. eCollection 2022.
The aging population has led to a growing health expenditure burden. According to the National Bureau of Statistics of China, the old-age dependency ratio rose from 10.7% in 2003 to 17.8% in 2019, and health expenditure increased from 658.410 billion yuan in 2003 to 5812.191 billion yuan in 2019 in China.
This paper utilizes the quantile regression method to discuss the influencing factors of health expenditure in urban China based on the China Household Finance Survey (CHFS), especially dependency burden. Moreover, its regional heterogeneity is also compared.
The old-age dependency ratio, age, family size, self-rated health status, and income significantly impact the health expenditure of urban families in the quantile regression of the national sample. Dependency burden and other variables on urban household health expenditure have great regional heterogeneity. The relationship between urban health expenditure and residential areas in western China is more stable than that in eastern and central China.
Government should improve the healthcare system suitable for the older adult population as soon as possible. The government of western China should pay more attention to the introduction of professional medical talents and the configuration of precision medical equipment to improve the health system in western China.
人口老龄化导致医疗支出负担不断增加。根据中国国家统计局的数据，老年抚养比从 2003 年的 10.7%上升到 2019 年的 17.8%，而医疗支出从 2003 年的 6584.100 亿元增加到 2019 年的 5812.191 亿元。
本文利用分位数回归方法，基于中国家庭金融调查（CHFS）探讨了中国城市家庭医疗支出的影响因素，特别是依赖负担。此外，还比较了其区域异质性。
在全国样本的分位数回归中，老年抚养比、年龄、家庭规模、自评健康状况和收入对城市家庭的医疗支出有显著影响。依赖负担和其他变量对城市家庭医疗支出的影响具有很大的区域异质性。西部城市的医疗支出与居住区域之间的关系比东部和中部城市更为稳定。
政府应尽快完善适合老年人口的医疗体系。西部政府应更加重视专业医疗人才的引进和精准医疗设备的配置，以改善西部的医疗体系。
