Integration of medical care and elderly care: Chinese experience and outcomes of older adults
利用CLHLS面板数据和双重差分法，研究中国2016年城市级医养结合试点政策，发现该政策显著降低了老年人一年内死亡率，机制在于改善健康结果和扩大服务供给。
Separated supply of medical and elderly care in China have been worrying issues especially in the aging era as medical needs and elderly care needs often interplay with each other among aged people. Utilizing panel data from CLHLS and a difference-in-differences identification strategy, this article examines China's 2016 nationwide pilot on integration of medical care and elderly care (IMEC) at city level. Results reveal that medical and elderly care integration significantly decreases one-year mortality of the elderly people. Further mechanism analysis shows that the IMEC policy likely benefits older adults through enhanced health outcomes, and extended delivery of medical care and elderly care. Our study emphasizes the critical importance of the integration of medical and elderly care for addressing the multifaceted needs of the aging population, providing a foundation for informed policy decisions and future interventions.