Impact of Urban-Rural Medical Insurance Integration on Medical Expenses and Economic Burden of Severe Mental Illness Patients in China

So, does the policy of integrating urban and rural residents' medical insurance have an impact on the medical expenses of patients with severe mental illnesses? Does it narrow the economic burden gap between urban and rural patients? To answer these questions, we used the first page data of hospitalization records of patients with severe mental illnesses in Sichuan Province from 2014 to 2017. We employed the Propensity Score Matching with Difference-in-Differences (PSM-DID) econometric method to empirically analyze the dynamic impact of the policy of integrating urban and rural residents' medical insurance on the medical expenses and economic burden of patients with severe mental illnesses, and conducted corresponding robustness tests. The research results of this study not only have direct reference value for the implementation effect of the policy of integrating urban and rural medical insurance, but also provide inspiration for improving the level of medical security for patients with severe mental illnesses.