Integrated Eldercare Services with Medical Care and Elderly Consumption:Theory and Mechanism
Against the backdrop of seeking to expand domestic demand,this paper discusses how the policy pilot of integrated eldercare services with medical care(IESMC)implemented in China in recent years affects the consumption behavior of elderly households.A new perspective is provided on how public health policies can indirectly stimulate the consumption potential of the elderly and solve the potential"puzzle of elderly savings".Based on theoretical analysis,this paper empirically tests the data from the nationally representative China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey and finds that the policy of IESMC has a significant positive driving effect on the per capita consumption of elderly households,which is mainly reflected in the expansion of consumption scale and the optimization of consumption structure.Mechanism analysis shows that,on the one hand,IESMC improves the health status of the elderly,which helps to reduce the increased precautionary savings due to the future medical and health risks;on the other hand,IESMC significantly reduces the depression tendency of the elderly,improves their social adaptability,and increases the opportunities for more positive social interactions,thus promoting the transformation of consumption concepts and behaviors and driving consumption upgrading.In addition,this paper also finds that the use of community medical and elderly care services can significantly stimulate the consumption of elderly households,especially the medical service has a greater impact.Heterogeneity analysis shows that urban households,areas with high economic development level,and areas with good public infrastructure are more likely to achieve consumption improvement of elderly households under the policy of IESMC.The research conclusion provides important practical implications for optimizing the current operation mode of IESMC and tapping the potential of the elderly economy.In the future,the policy of IESMC should focus on improving service quality,paying attention to the psychological and social needs of the elderly,optimizing the integration of medical and elderly care services,and considering regional and population differences to promote.
integrated eldercare services with medical careelderly consumptionhome careaging
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