何以为家:儿童大病医疗与消失的孤儿

Where Is Home:Medical Treatment for Children with Critical Illnesses and Disappeared Orphans

在经济快速增长和生育率持续下滑的背景下,中国却仍然存在大量的孤儿群体,其中尤以病残孤儿最为明显。本文基于2008—2016年县区层面面板数据,利用2010年开始实施的儿童大病医疗保障政策,研究发现对儿童先天性重大疾病提供医疗保障能够显著降低政策试点地区的孤儿数量,且主要体现为残疾孤儿的减少。本文不仅有助于理解当前中国孤儿群体产生的原因,还为从完善儿童医疗保障政策角度减少孤儿发生率和提升儿童养育水平提供了政策启示。

Against the backdrop of rapid economic growth and continuous decline in fertility rates,China still has a large number of orphan groups,with sick and disabled orphans being the most prominent.Based on the panel data of Chinese counties and districts from 2008 to 2016,we attempt to study the impact of the medicare policy for children with critical illness implemented from 2010 in China.We find medical aids on critical congenital diseases of children significantly lowers the number of orphans in the area where the pilot policy is implemented.Specifically,the effect of the pilot policy is demonstrated by the decreased number of disabled orphans.This study offers,on the one hand,a vital angle in understanding the reasons behind the emergence of orphan group in China.On the other hand,it serves as a policy reference to lower orphan rate and to improve child care by improving children medicare policies.