Does China’s Equalization of Basic Public Health Services policy improve delivery care for migrant women?

BACKGROUND: As of 2020, 1 in 4 people in China is a domestic migrant. However, their lack of access to health care in destination cities has been largely neglected by the Chinese government until recently. METHODS: Drawing on data from the 2010–2016 China Migrants Dynamic Survey, this study evaluated the impact of a pilot program of the Equalization of Basic Public Health Services launched in 2014 and focused on place of childbirth, an important indicator of delivery care. A difference-in-differences design was employed for statistical inference. RESULTS: The migrant pilot program increased the likelihood of a migrant childbirth at a migration destination by about 4 to 8 percentage points, depending on the model specification. Further analyses revealed that this positive effect was short-term and benefited relatively better-off migrant families. CONCLUSION: The migrant pilot program improved delivery care for migrant women. The Chinese government needs to expand this pilot program to more cities and improve its benefits to better serve the massive migrant population. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-022-14950-8.