The impacts of basic medical insurance for urban–rural residents on the perception of social equity in China

Abstract

Abstract Background Based on CSS 2019 data, this article analyzes the impact of Basic Medical Insurance for Urban and Rural Residents (BMIUR) on perceived social equity of residents. Method Using the CSS data of 2019, this article analyzes the influence of BMIUR on the perception of social equity of residents, on the basis of 2SLS model and mediating effect model. Results We find that BMIUR has a significantly positive impact on the perception of social equity. That is to say, BMIUR can improve residents’ evaluation of social equity and further promote the level of social equity, which makes residents more happiness. The conclusion remains valid after using robustness test and propensity score matching to conduct counterfactual reasoning. The discussion of mechanism indicates that the influence of BMIUR is mediated by enhancing social capital, improving satisfaction of income distribution and reducing self-paid medical expenses. This study also finds that the influence of BMIUR is more obvious in the low-income, low-skilled and mid-west groups. Conclusion The reform of the medical security system should be regarded as a foothold for improving people’s well-being and promoting social equity; Expanding people’s social capital through multiple channels and improving income distribution mechanisms; Strengthen vocational skills training, especially to provide more public services and social security for low-income groups, low-skilled groups, and groups in the western region of China, in order to improve the welfare and policy effectiveness of China's social security reform.

Keywords

• BMIUR
• Social equity
• Low-income group
• Social capital
• Social satisfaction