期刊名称:Discussion Papers / Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration
印刷版ISSN:0804-6824
出版年度:2013
卷号:2013
出版社:Bergen
摘要:I estimate the eects of public health insurance on consumption smoothing and investigate the extent to which the public insurance interacts with private arrangements of self-insurance. Exploiting a dramatic expansion in health insurance coverage in rural China, I nd that the introduction of public health insurance helps households completely insure against severe health shocks. The health insurance also reduces the magnitude of decline during a health shock in investments in children's education, agricultural activities and durable goods. The evidence suggests that the benet of social insurance for low-income households could also come from reducing the use of costly smoothing mechanisms.