TY - JOUR
T1 - Early appraisal of China's huge and complex health-care reforms
AU - Yip, Winnie
AU - Hsiao, William
AU - Chen, Wen
AU - Hu, Shanlian
AU - Ma, J
AU - Maynard, Alan Keith
PY - 2012/3
Y1 - 2012/3
N2 - China's 3 year, CN¥850 billion (US$125 billion) reform plan, launched in 2009, marked the first phase towards achieving comprehensive universal health coverage by 2020. The government's undertaking of systemic reform and its affirmation of its role in financing health care together with priorities for prevention, primary care, and redistribution of finance and human resources to poor regions are positive developments. Accomplishing nearly universal insurance coverage in such a short time is commendable. However, transformation of money and insurance coverage into cost-effective services is difficult when delivery of health care is hindered by waste, inefficiencies, poor quality of services, and scarcity and maldistribution of the qualifi ed workforce. China must reform its incentive structures for providers, improve governance of public hospitals, and institute a stronger regulatory system, but these changes have been slowed by opposition from stakeholders and lack of implementation capacity. The pace of reform should be moderated to allow service providers to develop absorptive capacity. Independent, outcome-based monitoring and evaluation by a thirdparty are essential for mid-course correction of the plans and to make offi cials and providers accountable.
AB - China's 3 year, CN¥850 billion (US$125 billion) reform plan, launched in 2009, marked the first phase towards achieving comprehensive universal health coverage by 2020. The government's undertaking of systemic reform and its affirmation of its role in financing health care together with priorities for prevention, primary care, and redistribution of finance and human resources to poor regions are positive developments. Accomplishing nearly universal insurance coverage in such a short time is commendable. However, transformation of money and insurance coverage into cost-effective services is difficult when delivery of health care is hindered by waste, inefficiencies, poor quality of services, and scarcity and maldistribution of the qualifi ed workforce. China must reform its incentive structures for providers, improve governance of public hospitals, and institute a stronger regulatory system, but these changes have been slowed by opposition from stakeholders and lack of implementation capacity. The pace of reform should be moderated to allow service providers to develop absorptive capacity. Independent, outcome-based monitoring and evaluation by a thirdparty are essential for mid-course correction of the plans and to make offi cials and providers accountable.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84863229958&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/S0140-6736(11)61880-1
DO - 10.1016/S0140-6736(11)61880-1
M3 - Article
SN - 0140-6736
VL - 379
SP - 833
EP - 842
JO - The Lancet
JF - The Lancet
IS - 9818
ER -