Effect of patient reimbursement method on health-care utilization: evidence from China
研究中国医保的即时报销与事后报销方式对患者就医决策的影响，发现即时报销显著增加门诊就诊概率，并探讨其作用机制。
For most insurers, traditional methods of controlling health-care demand include deductibles, co-payments, stop-losses, and insurance ceilings. This paper examines the effect of the patient reimbursement method of health insurance (immediate reimbursement or later reimbursement) on individuals' health-care utilization decisions. We find that immediate reimbursement significantly increases the likelihood of patients seeking outpatient treatment in China. We also empirically explore the channels through which immediate reimbursement affects individual's incentives on health-care demand.