Kunpeng Project
From 2006 to the present, the individual payment standard for medical insurance for urban and rural residents in China has continued to rise, gradually rising from the initial 10 yuan per person per year to 380 yuan in 2023. Behind this phenomenon is a complex economic and life-level problem, which has a considerable impact on the lives of ordinary people.
One of the main reasons for the rising medical costs and the individual payment standard for medical insurance for urban and rural residents is the rising medical costs. With the advancement of medical technology and the upgrading of medical equipment, the quality and scope of medical services have been significantly improved, but at the same time, they have also come with higher costs. Costs such as medicines, medical equipment, and salaries for healthcare workers are all increasing, forcing individuals to pay more to cope with the increase in medical spending.
With the aging of the population and the increase of chronic diseases, the problem of population aging in China is becoming increasingly prominent, and the proportion of the elderly population is increasing year by year. Older people often need more medical care, and the number of people with chronic diseases is increasing. These two factors have led to an increase in the cost of health insurance, and in order to ensure the sustainable development of the health care system, it is necessary to increase the financing standards of health insurance.
The number of insured people has declined, and since 2019, the number of insured people in urban and rural residents' medical insurance has gradually declined, which is also one of the reasons for individual contributions**. A decrease in the number of insured people means a decrease in the number of contributors, and to maintain the sustainability of medical insurance, the only way to maintain the sustainability of medical insurance is to increase the standard of individual contributions.
The burden of living has increased, and with the continuous payment of medical insurance for urban and rural residents, the living burden of ordinary people has gradually increased. For example, if a rural family of four needs to pay 380 yuan per person per year, then the medical insurance cost of the whole family will reach 1,520 yuan, which is a large expenditure for some low-income families. This can lead to some families being limited in spending in other areas, affecting their quality of life.
The enthusiasm to participate in insurance has declined, and with the continuous payment of personal contributions, some people may lose enthusiasm for insurance. They may feel that the high cost of health insurance is not cost-effective, so they choose not to enroll in insurance or reduce the amount of health insurance covered. This will increase the medical risks that may be faced in the future, and may also lead to more people being unable to afford the high medical costs, thus increasing the medical burden of society.
Social inequity is exacerbated, and the ** of individual contribution standards may lead to an increase in social inequality. Low-income groups tend to have less time to afford the high cost of health insurance, while higher-income groups are relatively easy to afford. This will lead to an unequal distribution of social resources, widen the gap between the rich and the poor, and be detrimental to social stability and harmony.
Example: Xiao Ming is a rural resident and his family of four is enrolled in the urban and rural residents' medical insurance. Before the personal payment standard**, he only needed to pay 40 yuan per year for medical insurance, which felt relatively easy. However, with the continuous increase in the payment standard, the medical insurance cost of their family has increased year by year, and by 2023, they need to pay 1,520 yuan, which has caused a certain amount of pressure on their lives. They began to consider whether to reduce the amount of health insurance covered, which also exposed them to possible medical risks in the future.
To sum up, the continuous payment of medical insurance for urban and rural residents, although to a certain extent can cope with the rising medical costs and the challenge of population aging, but also brings a series of economic and living problems. **It is necessary to carefully weigh the sustainability of the medical system and the living burden of ordinary people, and find more reasonable solutions to ensure the fairness and sustainable development of the medical insurance system.