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Journal of Global Health Economics and Policy, Vol. 1 No. 1, 2021.

Original scientific paper

https://doi.org/10.52872/001c.29559

The impact of long-term care insurance in China on beneficiaries and caregivers: A systematic review

Simiao Chen
Linye Li
Juntao Yang
Lirui Jiao
Todd Golden
Zhuoran Wang
Haitao Liu
Peixin Wu
Till Bärnighausen
Pascal Geldsetzer
Chen Wang

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Abstract

Background
China’s long-term care insurance (LTCI) policy has been minimally evaluated. This systematic review aimed to assess the impact of China’s LTCI pilot on beneficiaries and their caregivers.

Methods
This review is based on a search of peer-reviewed studies in English (Embase, MEDLINE, Web of Science) and Chinese (China National Knowledge Infrastructure [CNKI], VIP, Wanfang) databases from January 2016 through July 2020, with all studies published in English or Chinese included. We included quantitative analyses of beneficiary-level data that assessed the impact of LTCI on beneficiaries and their caregivers, with no restriction placed on the outcomes studied.

Results
Nine studies met our inclusion criteria. One study was a randomised trial and two used quasi-experimental approaches. Four studies examined LTCI’s effect on beneficiaries’ quality of life, physical pain, and health service utilisation; one study reported the effect on beneficiaries’ healthcare expenditures; and one study evaluated the impact on caregivers’ care tasks. These studies generally found LTCI to be associated with an improvement in patients’ quality of life (including decreased physical pain), a reduction in the number of outpatient visits and hospitalisations, decreased patient-level health expenditures (e.g. one study reported a reduction in the length of stay, inpatient expenditures, and health insurance expenditures in tertiary hospitals by 41.0%, 17.7%, and 11.4%, respectively), and reduced informal care tasks for caregivers. In addition, four out of four studies that evaluated this outcome found that beneficiaries’ overall satisfaction with LTCI was high.

Conclusion
The current evidence base for the effects of LTCI in China on beneficiaries and their caregivers is sparse. Nonetheless, the existing studies suggest that LTCI has positive effects on beneficiaries and their caregivers. Further rigorous research on the impacts of LTCI in China is needed to inform the future expansion of the program.

Keywords

long-term care insurance; systematic review; China; beneficiaries and caregivers

Hrčak ID:

265565

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/265565

Publication date:

27.5.2021.

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