The Impact Of Air Pollution On Household Purchase Of Commercial Medical Insurance

In addition to purchasing air purifiers,increasing gym attendance,and wearing filter masks,more people are purchasing private medical insurance to reduce the health risks of air pollution.In this thesis,we construct a panel logit model based on data from the China Health and Retirement Follow-up Survey,controlling for economic status,health information,risk preferences,expected medical needs,and demographic characteristics,then find that air pollution has the effect of increasing residents’ consumption of commercial medical insurance.At the same time,the probability of performing a personal health examination weakens the positive effect of air pollution on insurance coverage.Those living in eastern regions,those who are risk averse,and those under age 60 are more strongly affected by air pollution in their demand for insurance.We also find that air pollution increases demand for health insurance by increasing residents’ health expenditures.In light of the above,insurance companies should further segment the market and accurately develop medical health insurance according to the characteristics of the insured population,as well as develop new business sites that include the elderly population and disease holders in their coverage.The Government should continue to play a supporting role in the development of commercial health insurance,increase the spread of health education,and build a strong line of defense to protect the health of the entire population.