A Study Of Rural Medical Assistance Policy In Guangxi

Since China's reform and opening-up policy, rural residents'utilization ofmedical and health services has been improved to some degree. However, theproblems of"expensive medical bills and difficult access to quality medicalservices"and"poverty due to illness and poverty reinstatement due to illness"arestill prominent among rural residents, especially the poverty-stricken population.Usually, poverty-stricken population are in a very weak position in the respects ofeconomy, education, medical and health care, culture and sports as well as socialsecurity. They badly need help and protection from the government and the society.Medical assistance is one of the most urgent and significant aspects. Rural medicalassistance is the last safety net of medical security system and it is an importantpart of social assistance system. Establishing and completing rural medicalassistance system is of great significant to such aspects as lightening the burden ofrural poverty-stricken population, enhancing their health level, improving their lifeconditions, promoting rural economic development and maintaining socialharmony and stability. In 2004, Guangxi began to implement rural medicalassistance system. After several years of development, the course of rural medicalassistance in Guangxi has achieved relatively great success. However, due tovarious factors, there are still some urgent problems in theory and practice. Thisthesis investigates the rural medical assistance system in Guangxi,comprehensively applying the methods of literature research, field research andcomparative research. By analyzing the current situation of rural medicalassistance in Guangxi, the thesis tries to discover the major problems existing inthe process of policy making and implementing.