Health Insurance, Health Status, Retirement and Work: Evidence from China

Abstract

This dissertation contains three empirical chapters that examine the health and labour market outcomes across different public health insurance plans for the middle-aged and elderly population in China. Chapter 4 examines self-ranked health state inequalities between individuals under two main public health insurance plans. Chapter 5 compares work-to-retirement transitions between individuals under two main public health insurance plans while controlling for pension plans. Chapter 6 focuses on the working population, comparing the number of missed workdays due to health issues between individuals under two main public health insurance plans in different sectors. Overall, this dissertation underscores the importance of equitable health insurance in enhancing health and labour market outcomes for the middle-aged and elderly in China, advocating for continued reforms to address existing disparities.