Ageing and Effecting Long-term Care in China

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.

‘The book is the fruit of three years’ investigation into the funding and delivery of Long Term Care (LTC )in China. Laying the theoretical foundations essential to understanding China’s LTC system, chapter one outlines the definition, importance and prospects of LTC, as well as the development of LTC structures and the associated challenges of financing and delivery around the world….As the rapidly ageing Chinese population continues to pose tremendous challenges for late-age care provision, an extensive examination of the performance of China’s LTC system is potentially of considerable interest to both academic researchers and policymakers. The well-researched and critical analysis of the funding and delivery of LTCI that this book has provided will certainly enrich our understanding of the policy landscape of the LTC system in China, with its associated challenges and pro-spects. It will be a valuable and essential source of reference for researchers interested in population ageing, healthcare policies, and welfare issues faced by the elderly in China. Such an early appraisal of the successes and challenges associated with Chinese LTCI reform will also assist political leaders and policymakers working on LTC reform in other countries and regions.’Xiang Zou for China Quarterly Journal, 2022

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.