Peasants Funding The Willingness And Ability Of The New Rural Cooperative Medical Care Pilot Counties In Shanxi Province

Objective On the basis of the investigation and analysis of the willingness to pay and the ability to pay in Yushe and Loufan experimental county of the new rural cooperative medical system (NCMS), the study can provide scientific and reasonable evidences for reforming and perfecting system of the health finance of the NCMS in Shanxi Province. Methods A household survey was conducted to obtain datum on the farmer's families of the experimental counties, which were then analyzed by the method of the catastrophic health payment analysis through the expanded linear expenditure system made sure of the appropriate standard. To analyze the willingness to pay and the ability to pay on the farmer's families of the NCMS, the statistical analysis software--SPSS 11.5 analyzed the datum of the catastrophic health payment headcount and the catastrophic health payment non-headcount in the experimental counties of the NCMS. Results 1.The household survey was made to 34 villages of 12 townships in the experimental counties of the NCMS. In the 570 effective questionnaires, the rate of joining the NCMS was 79.1%(77.2% in Yushe County, 81.0% in Loufan County). 2. In the willingness to pay , 91.1% of the families of joining the NCMS had the willingness to pay if they paid 10 RMB every year ; 79.3% of the families of joining the NCMS had the willingness to pay if they paid 10-30 RMB every year ; Above 30 RMB every year, which meant above 2.0% of the income, 11.8% of the families of joining the NCMS had the willingness to pay. 3. On the basis of the appropriate standard—40%, the catastrophic health payment headcount was 14.20% in Yushe County and 13.10% in Loufan County. In the families, 50.00% of the families in Yushe County and 55.20% of the families in Loufan County had the partial ability to pay. 25.00% of the families in Yushe County and 23.70% of the families in Loufan County had the all ability to pay. At the same appropriate standard, in the families of the catastrophic health payment non-headcount, 9.20% of the families in Yushe County and 14.30% of the families in Loufan County had no ability to pay. After deducting the outcome in food, on the basis of the appropriate standard—40%, the catastrophic health payment headcount was 27.50% in Yushe County and 23.50% in Loufan County. In the families, 54.80% of the families in Yushe County and 55.40% of the families in Loufan County had the partial ability to pay. 23.30% of the families in Yushe County and 21.50% of the families in Loufan County had the all ability to pay. At the same appropriate standard, in the families of the catastrophic health payment non-headcount, 7.90% of the families in Yushe County and 13.10% of the families in Loufan County had no ability to pay. Conclusion As a basic health policy to the farmer's families in Shanxi Province, a lot of families have realized the benefits of the NCMS, and more and more families express their willingness to join the NCMS. But the peasants have a low consciousness of health investment and an irrational consumption structure. It is necessary to raise their consciousness of health investment by strengthening health education and developping consumption structure so as to increase the activity of joining the NCMS. At the same time, it suggests that the government and the collective economy should increase investment to the NCMS. They should pay the partial or full funds for the people who have no ability to pay and assist poor families to join the NCMS in order to enhance the equity of the health finance. It will make them get a more effective health indemnification.