Study On The Impact Of Basic Medical Insurance On The Physical And Mental Health Of Middle-aged And Elderly Residents In China

Since the reform and opening up,China has made remarkable achievements in the development of health field and the people’s health level has been improving.However,as the aging of our population continues to deepen,China is facing serious aging problems.With the increase of age,middle-aged and elderly residents have natural decline of body organs,the incidence of chronic diseases is increasing and trending younger,the number of people suffering from common mental disorders and psychological problems is increasing year by year,physical health and mental health problems are more prominent,and middle-aged and elderly residents have a higher demand for medical services.Basic medical insurance can influence the utilization of medical services by middle-aged and elderly residents,which in turn affects their physical and mental health.Therefore,this thesis focuses on the health status of middle-aged and elderly residents aged 45 and above,and explores the mechanism of the impact of basic medical insurance on the physical and mental health of middle-aged and elderly residents.The study used data from the China Household Tracking Survey(CFPS),and used the probit model and propensity score matching method to analyze the effects of basic medical insurance on the physical health and mental health of middle-aged and elderly residents,while using medical service utilization as a mediating variable to explore the effects and mechanisms of basic medical insurance on the physical and mental health of middle-aged and elderly residents through mediating effects,and finally analyzed the effects of basic medical insurance from age,income,education,and place of residence Finally,heterogeneity analysis was conducted from several perspectives.The study shows that participation in basic medical insurance is beneficial to the physical and mental health of middle-aged and elderly residents.The mechanism of action analysis showed that basic medical insurance indirectly improved the physical and mental health of middle-aged and elderly residents by promoting their medical consultation and hospitalization.The heterogeneity study showed that participation in basic medical insurance had a more significant effect on the physical and mental health of middle-aged and elderly residents who were under 60 years old,with low income and high school and below,and that participation in basic medical insurance had a more significant effect on the physical health of middle-aged and elderly residents in rural areas and on the mental health of middle-aged and elderly residents in urban areas in terms of their place of residence.Based on the empirical results,in order to improve the physical and mental health of middle-aged and elderly residents,the following suggestions are made: first,increase the publicity to improve middle-aged and elderly residents’ trust in basic medical insurance;second,improve the coverage of basic medical insurance to reduce middle-aged and elderly residents’ medical expenses;third,improve the accessibility of medical services and balance the allocation of urban and rural medical and health resources;fourth,enhance middle-aged and elderly residents’ health awareness and promote healthy lifestyles.