摘要
长期护理保险作为国家补齐社会保障制度的重要一环,其在调节收入分配方面的作用亟待深入探讨。基于2011—2020年中国健康与养老追踪调查数据,从微观个体收入不平等视角考察长期护理保险试点政策效果。研究发现,长期护理保险能够促进低收入家庭的收入增长和社会阶层跃升,有效缓解个体收入不平等。这主要源于长期护理保险能够分担低收入家庭的照护责任并释放劳动力资源,同时能够拉动养老护理产业就业,更大程度改善低收入群体就业状况。此外,在偏好非正式照料和经济相对脆弱的家庭以及医疗水平相对落后和财政状况较好的地区,长期护理保险更能发挥其在缓解收入不平等方面的潜力。因此,政府应将长期护理保险的差异化筹费与待遇给付机制作为核心着力点,以引导养老护理产业发展为配套支撑,为低收入群体实现可持续增收提供可行路径。
China faces the dual challenges of population aging and income distribution imbalance.The economic burden on disabled families and the constrains on the labor supply due to informal care needs have exacerbated the“relative deprivation”of low-income groups.As an important institutional innovation to address aging,the impact of long-term care insurance(LTCI)on income distribution requires in-depth exploration.This study incorporates individual relative income deprivation into the evaluation framework of LTCI’s micro-welfare effects,examining its influence on household income inequality.First,based on Becker’s household decision-making theory,we construct a theoretical framework to reveal the underlying mechanisms through which LTCI influences income inequality.Subsequently,using five waves of data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study(CHARLS)from 2011 to 2020,we employ the difference-in-differences(DID)method for empirical testing.Our findings suggest that LTCI effectively alleviates household income inequality.Compared to high-income groups,LTCI has a more significant positive effect on income growth in low-income households.This is primarily because LTCI not only reduces caregiving burdens and significantly increases the employment probability of informal caregivers but also promotes the development of the eldercare industry,creating more job opportunities for low-skilled workers and vulnerable groups.Furthermore,LTCI is particularly beneficial in reducing income inequality for families with stronger preferences for informal care and higher economic vulnerability.The policy effects of LTCI in reducing income inequality are more pronounced in regions with lower healthcare service accessibility and better local government fiscal conditions.Further analysis indicates that LTCI not only facilitates upward social mobility for low-income households but also reduces the risk of high-income households falling into poverty.This study contributes to the existing literature in three key aspects.First,unlike previous studies that primarily focus on the equity effects of LTCI from a group perspective,we construct a household-level income inequality indicator using an individual relative deprivation index and empirically examine the impact of LTCI on household income inequality.This supplements research on the micro-welfare effects of LTCI.Second,while existing studies highlight LTCI’s role in easing caregiving burdens,fostering the eldercare industry,and promoting employment,there is limited research on how these pathways influence income distribution patterns.This paper explores,both theoretically and empirically,whether and how LTCI affects labor market participation across different income groups,thereby shaping income inequality.Third,most studies analyze LTCI’s employment and income effects from a static perspective,whereas this study expands the scope by adopting a dynamic perspective to examine its impact on household income mobility,aiming to provide a comprehensive assessment of LTCI’s long-term contribution to household income growth.By analyzing the effects and mechanisms of China’s LTCI pilot program on micro-level household income inequality from both static and dynamic perspectives,this study provides new insights into the income distribution regulatory function of social security policies in an aging society.It also offers theoretical support for optimizing LTCI policy design to better serve low-income groups and contribute to the goal of achieving common prosperity.
作者
金双华
高冉冉
JIN Shuanghua;GAO Ranran(School of Public Finance and Taxation,Dongbei University of Finance and Economics,Dalian 116025,China)
出处
《当代经济科学》
北大核心
2025年第5期113-128,共16页
Modern Economic Science
基金
国家社会科学基金重点项目“财政性社会保障收支政策对收入分配调节路径的国际经验研究”(17AJY025)
辽宁省社会科学规划基金重点建设学科项目“共同富裕视角下辽宁省财政性社会保障收支政策对收入分配调节效应研究”(L23ZD021)。
关键词
长期护理保险
收入不平等
低收入家庭
劳动就业
养老护理产业
long-term care insurance
income inequality
low-income households
labor employment
elderly care industry
作者简介
金双华,男,东北财经大学财政税务学院教授,研究方向为社会保障政策与收入分配;通信作者:高冉冉,女,东北财经大学财政税务学院博士研究生,研究方向为长期护理保险政策,电子邮箱为ranrangao1998@163.com。
