September 2007
Health Care Reform: Bring On The Scalpels
China’s health care system is widely considered to be in crisis: the quality of care deteriorating and too much of the cost borne by patients. While the truth is more complex, fear of the cost of a serious or chronic illness is certainly a major reason why Chinese households save so much of their income.
As part of its stated commitments to building a “harmonious society” and stimulating household consumption, the government is now contemplating a thorough overhaul of the way health care is delivered and paid for. Major reforms could be announced by the end of this year. CEQ dispels the myths and hysteria that have grown up around China’s health care system, identifies the true problems, and describes how the government may begin addressing them.
Also in this issue:
- Francesco Sisci wonders how the relationship between taxation and political representation might play out in China
- Alexey Efimov argues that if China cannot establish a viable pension system, the elderly will become a
- crippling burden on the much smaller working generation by mid-century
- Steven Dunaway and Vivek Arora propose that a sound pension system would help rebalance China’s economic growth away from investment and exports and toward consumption
- Paul French writes that centrally backed green initiatives collide with the hard fact that most local governments still value economic growth over everything else