The Impact of the Upgrading of the Industrial Structure on the Urban Employee Basic Medical Insurance Fund: An Empirical Study in China

Abstract

Background: During the transformation of economy to a high-quality level in China, industrial restructuring and upgrading have played an important role. The upgrading of the industrial structure has affected not only the development in society and economy but also other fields, thereby having great impact on social security. In recent years, with the aging of the population and economic development, the social medical insurance fund is undertaking more payment pressure. However, the existing research rarely focuses on the impact of industrial structure upgrading on medical insurance. Objective: The main aim of this study was to analyze the impact of the upgrading of industrial structure on the income and expenditure of the urban employee basic medical insurance fund. Methods: China's provincial panel data from 2007 to 2018, collected by the National Bureau of Statistics of China, were used to establish a panel regression model in order to investigate the impact of the upgrading of the industrial structure on the income and expenditure of the urban employee basic medical insurance fund. Results: The research showed that the upgrading of the industrial structure, in combination with the internal upgrading in the tertiary industry, had a positive impact on the income and expenditure of the urban employee basic medical insurance fund and that there were regional differences. The simple upgrading of the three major industries had no effect on the income or expenditure of the urban employee basic medical insurance fund. In addition to the upgrading of industrial structure, other factors such as the average salary of employed persons in urban units, the proportion of retirees among all insured persons in urban employee basic medical insurance and the expenditure of urban employee basic medical insurance were also found to have impact on the income of urban employee basic medical insurance. Moreover, the expenditure of urban employee basic medical insurance was associated with the proportion of retirees among all insured persons in urban employee basic medical insurance, GDP and an aging population. Conclusion:In the context of the upgrading of the industrial structure, measures such as strengthening employment and income security, delaying retirement, adjusting birth policy, strengthening the scientific management of personal accounts and accurately positioning the regional industrial structure were suggested to be adopted in order to minimize the payment pressures on the urban employee basic medical insurance fund.

Analysis of hospitalization expenditures and influencing factors for inpatients with chronic bronchitis based on SHA2011 in Anhui,China

“…We found that patients who rely on basic medical insurance for urban workers and public health insurance have signi cantly higher medical expenses than patients with other types of insurance and completely self-paid patients. Among them, UEMI is one of the largest medical insurance plans in China, which originated in the mid-1990s (14). However, by the beginning of the 21st century, the Chinese government set up two new insurance programs : NCMI for rural residents and URMI for self-employed and unemployed urban residents (15).…”

More Rational, More Attractive: Industrial Structure Rationalization and Migrant Workers’ Employment Choices in China

“…Instead, temporary and self-employed workers are responsible for their social insurance premiums. In China, a majority of migrant workers from rural areas have no assets in the cities where they live, and their wages are spent on household needs, making them less risk-tolerant than local workers in multidimensional and persistent poverty [30][31][32]. In this situation, more stable and comprehensive social benefits can attract migrant workers to choose regular employment rather than self-employment and temporary employment through the increase in social welfare.…”

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