The Impact of Dependency Burden on Urban Household Health Expenditure and Its Regional Heterogeneity in China: Based on Quantile Regression Method

BACKGROUND: The aging population has led to a growing health expenditure burden. According to the National Bureau of Statistics of China, the old-age dependency ratio rose from 10.7% in 2003 to 17.8% in 2019, and health expenditure increased from 658.410 billion yuan in 2003 to 5812.191 billion yuan in 2019 in China. METHODS: This paper utilizes the quantile regression method to discuss the influencing factors of health expenditure in urban China based on the China Household Finance Survey (CHFS), especially dependency burden. Moreover, its regional heterogeneity is also compared. RESULTS: The old-age dependency ratio, age, family size, self-rated health status, and income significantly impact the health expenditure of urban families in the quantile regression of the national sample. Dependency burden and other variables on urban household health expenditure have great regional heterogeneity. The relationship between urban health expenditure and residential areas in western China is more stable than that in eastern and central China. DISCUSSION: Government should improve the healthcare system suitable for the older adult population as soon as possible. The government of western China should pay more attention to the introduction of professional medical talents and the configuration of precision medical equipment to improve the health system in western China.