Conclusion and Discussion

Abstract

As a conclusion to this book, the Chinese population is categorized into three subgroups that are likely to represent the demand side of three very different healthcare markets in the future:

• A very disadvantaged population with a very low income that cannot afford healthcare access, even for basic healthcare, without the support and intervention of the state. This population is composed of those who benefit from Medical Assistance but also who are eligible for the two main public insurance schemes, namely the New Rural Cooperative Medical Insurance scheme and the Urban Residence Basic Medical Insurance scheme. This population is mainly from rural areas but with a growing element from urban locations;

• An intermediate level of population with income sufficient to afford access to basic healthcare but who cannot afford the whole package of healthcare offered. This population has, over the past three decades, experienced an amazing change in their healthcare quality preference. The level of quality required to satisfy their demand has increased highly. In the 1980s, considered here as the initial context, they were satisfied with a poor level of quality for almost free access. Nowadays, they look for qualified and trained physicians working in well-equipped hospitals. This population is willing to pay a substantial healthcare cost to get the level of quality it rates as necessary. For this population, severe pathology or chronic disease can lead to impoverishment and deterioration in the quality of life;

• A high-income population able to subscribe to a private insurance policy. This population mostly lives in urban locations. On the one hand, the level of quality requested to satisfy this audience is high. On the other hand, this population can afford to access a certain level of healthcare without the support of public health insurance. This population is the one targeted by commercial private insurance companies. These firms offer them supplementary insurance in addition to the public health insurance package.