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Reform of how health care is paid for in China: challenges and opportunities.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Hu, S; Tang, S; Liu, Y; Zhao, Y; Escobar, M-L; de Ferranti, D
Published in: Lancet
November 22, 2008

China's current strategy to improve how health services are paid for is headed in the right direction, but much more remains to be done. The problems to be resolved, reflecting the setbacks of recent decades, are substantial: high levels of out-of-pocket payments and cost escalation, stalled progress in providing adequate health insurance for all, widespread inefficiencies in health facilities, uneven quality, extensive inequality, and perverse incentives for hospitals and doctors. China's leadership is taking bold steps to accelerate improvement, including increasing government spending on health and committing to reaching 100% insurance coverage by 2010. China's efforts are part of a worldwide transformation in the financing of health care that will dominate global health in the 21st century. The prospects that China will complete this transformation successfully in the next two decades are good, although success is not guaranteed. The real test, as other countries have experienced, will come when tougher reforms have to be introduced.

Duke Scholars

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Published In

Lancet

DOI

EISSN

1474-547X

Publication Date

November 22, 2008

Volume

372

Issue

9652

Start / End Page

1846 / 1853

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • Urban Population
  • Rural Population
  • National Health Programs
  • Medically Underserved Area
  • Humans
  • Healthcare Disparities
  • Health Care Reform
  • Government Programs
  • General & Internal Medicine
  • China
 

Citation

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Hu, S., Tang, S., Liu, Y., Zhao, Y., Escobar, M.-L., & de Ferranti, D. (2008). Reform of how health care is paid for in China: challenges and opportunities. Lancet, 372(9652), 1846–1853. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(08)61368-9
Hu, Shanlian, Shenglan Tang, Yuanli Liu, Yuxin Zhao, Maria-Luisa Escobar, and David de Ferranti. “Reform of how health care is paid for in China: challenges and opportunities.Lancet 372, no. 9652 (November 22, 2008): 1846–53. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(08)61368-9.
Hu S, Tang S, Liu Y, Zhao Y, Escobar M-L, de Ferranti D. Reform of how health care is paid for in China: challenges and opportunities. Lancet. 2008 Nov 22;372(9652):1846–53.
Hu, Shanlian, et al. “Reform of how health care is paid for in China: challenges and opportunities.Lancet, vol. 372, no. 9652, Nov. 2008, pp. 1846–53. Pubmed, doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(08)61368-9.
Hu S, Tang S, Liu Y, Zhao Y, Escobar M-L, de Ferranti D. Reform of how health care is paid for in China: challenges and opportunities. Lancet. 2008 Nov 22;372(9652):1846–1853.
Journal cover image

Published In

Lancet

DOI

EISSN

1474-547X

Publication Date

November 22, 2008

Volume

372

Issue

9652

Start / End Page

1846 / 1853

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • Urban Population
  • Rural Population
  • National Health Programs
  • Medically Underserved Area
  • Humans
  • Healthcare Disparities
  • Health Care Reform
  • Government Programs
  • General & Internal Medicine
  • China