The inequity of inpatient services in rural areas and the New-Type Rural Cooperative Medical System (NRCMS) in China: repeated cross sectional analysis

The main aim of the New-type Rural Cooperative Medical System (NRCMS) put into effect in 2003 was to reduce financial barriers in accessing health care services among vulnerable populations. The aim of this study was to assess the association between NRCMS and income related inequality in hospital utilization among rural inhabitants in Jiangxi Province, China. A multistage stratified random cluster sampling method was adopted to select 1838, 1879, and 1890 households as participants in 2003/2004, 2008 and 2014, respectively. The Erreygers Concentration index (EI) of two measures of hospital inpatient care including admission to hospital and hospital avoidance, were calculated to measure income-related inequality. The decomposition of the EI was performed to characterize the contributions of socioeconomic and need factors to the measured inequality. An affluent-focused (pro-rich) inequity was observed for hospital admission adjusting for need factors over time. The level of inequity for hospital admission decreased dramatically, while hospital avoidance decreased marginally, and with a high value (EI, -0.0176) in 2008. The implementation of the NRCMS was associated with decreased inequity in 2008 and in 2014, but the associations were limited. Income contributed the most to the inequality of hospital utilization each year. The coverage of the NRCMS expanded to cover nearly all rural inhabitants in Jiangxi province by 2014 and was associated with a very small reduction in inequalities in admission to hospital. In order to increase equitable access to health care, additional financial protections for vulnerable populations are needed. Improving the relatively low level of medical services in township hospitals, and low rate of reimbursement and financial assistance with the NRCMS is recommended.