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Age Structural Transitions and Copayment Policy Effectiveness: Evidence from Taiwan’s National Health Insurance System

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  • Ya-Ling Lin

    (Department of Public Health, China Medical University, 91 Hsueh-Shih Road, Taichung 40402, Taiwan
    Department of Nursing, Taichung Hospital, Ministry of Health Welfare, 199, Sec. 1, Sanmin Road, Taichung 40343, Taiwan)

  • Wen-Yi Chen

    (Department of Senior Citizen Service Management, National Taichung University of Science and Technology, 193, Sec. 1, Sanmin Road, Taichung 40343, Taiwan)

  • Shwn-Huey Shieh

    (Department of Health Services Administration, China Medical University, 91 Hsueh-Shih Road, Taichung 40402, Taiwan)

Abstract

Background: Population ageing is a worldwide phenomenon that could influence health policy effectiveness. This research explores the impact of age structural transitions on copayment policy responses under Taiwan’s National Health Insurance (NHI) system. Methods: The time-varying parameter vector autoregressive model was applied to create two measures of the copayment policy effectiveness, and multiple linear regression models were used to verify the nonlinear effect of age structural transitions on copayment policy responses. Results: Our results show that copayment policy effectiveness (in terms of the negative response of medical center outpatient visits to upward adjustments in copayment) is positively correlated with the proportions of the population in two older age groups (aged 55–64 and ≥ 65) and children (age < 15), but negatively correlated with the proportion of the population that makes up most of the workforce (aged 15‒54). These tendencies of age distribution, which influence the responses of medical center outpatient visits to copayment policy changes, predict that copayment policy may have a greater influence on medical center outpatient utilization in an ageing society. Conclusions: Policymakers should be concerned about the adverse effects of copayment adjustments on the elderly, such as an increasing financial burden and the effect of pricing some elderly patients out of Taiwan’s NHI system.

Suggested Citation

  • Ya-Ling Lin & Wen-Yi Chen & Shwn-Huey Shieh, 2020. "Age Structural Transitions and Copayment Policy Effectiveness: Evidence from Taiwan’s National Health Insurance System," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(12), pages 1-17, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:12:p:4183-:d:370463
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