How the Personal Cognition Affect the Health Insurance Reform—Based on the Empirical Analysis of Residents' Health and Medical Demands

摘要

This paper carries out the following discussion from the aspect of residents' cognition on health insurance information, by making use of the data from the China health and nutrition examination survey (CHNS 2000-2006) and the random effects panel estimation methods. (1) How the residents' cognition on health insurance information affects their health and medical demands, and then, influences and restricts the effectiveness of the China's health insurance policies; (2) what are the macro and micro factors that affect the residents' access to health insurance information. Studies found that the health and medical demands of urban and rural residents, who lack cognition on health insurance information, are significantly less, making the effectiveness of the current health and medical reform greatly reduced. Residents' cognition on health insurance information is not only connected with the micro-individual characteristics, but depends largely on the public policies of the macro health insurance reform. These experience and findings provide theoretical and practical bases for government to improve the effectiveness of the policies in the new round of medical and government reform.