Ageing and Effecting Long-term Care in China (Routledge Studies in the Modern World Economy)

Recognizing rapidly ageing population is one key concern faced by cities and the challenge it would present to healthcare system, this book looks at ageing in China’s population as well as the delivery and financing of long-term care (LTC) in China.

The book compares key features of long-term care insurance (LTCI) schemes in 15 pilot cities and evaluates the sustainability of various financing models adopted by the cities in the LTCI schemes. The book uses an interpretive case study approach to give an in-depth look into the LTC models in three pilot cities – Qingdao, Nantong, and Shanghai. The three cities represent three different models of financing and delivering LTC. To assess how effective the LTC models in these three cities are, the book uses five criteria, including utilization of medical resources, cost, equity, quality of care and sustainability. Also, the authors discuss how the financing and delivery of LTC can be improved in China, the impact of the 2019 coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on older adults in need of LTC in the country and the implications of China’s LTCI reform for other countries.

The book will be a useful reference to scholars and policy-makers who look at urban ageing and healthcare costs and delivery.

Sabrina Ching Yuen Luk is Assistant Professor in Public Policy and Global Affairs, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Her research areas include healthy ageing, healthcare and long-term care reforms, smart cities, and crisis leadership and management.

Hui Zhang is Associate Professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University of China. She holds a PhD in Health Economics from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Her research interests are healthcare financing, health insurance reform, and cost-effectiveness analysis.

Peter P. Yuen is Dean of the College of Professional and Continuing Education of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and Professor in the Department of Management and Marketing of PolyU. He is a founding Fellow of the Hong Kong College of Health Services Executives and an Honorary Fellow of the Australian College of Health Services Management.