The Health Cost Research Of Atmospheric Pollution

In recent years, China’s air pollution problems, especially the smog problem, has become the focus of public opinion. Under the influence, the atmospheric pollution makes the health costs of people are increasing. To explore the inner relationship between air pollution and health costs, the researchers used a variety of methods to analysis the problem from different angles, through comprehensive comparison and a large number of empirical results show that there is a significant positive correlation between atmospheric pollution and health costs. Generally, there are two viewpoints in theory: one kind of thought that the relationship between air pollution and health is causality; Another kind of thought that there is no causal relationship between air pollution and health, instead, the relationship between atmospheric pollution and health is affected by one or more factors. Although there are existing basis of both views, however, the relationship between air pollution and health costs is still a widespread controversy problem. To find out an effective way to reduce the residents health costs under the background of air pollution, it’s necessary to discuss the relationship among air pollution, health costs and the other factors of affecting health costs.To straighten out the relationship between air pollution and health costs, and knowing the ingredients of health costs, this paper is going to study around the following three core problems: how to measure the health costs caused by atmospheric pollution; How is the relationship between air pollution and health costs; And what factors influence the relationship between air pollution and health costs. In terms of the research path, first of all, we discuss the mechanism of environmental pollution and other factors works on health costs through establishing a theoretical model; Then, we use the human capital method to measure the health cost caused by atmospheric pollution; Finally, using the method of metrological analysis to validate and the relationship among atmospheric pollution, other influencing factors and health costs.We find that the health costs is not only with atmospheric pollution, but also with economic development level, education level, government investment and other factors during the process of discussing the mechanism of atmospheric pollution and other factors works on health costs. Among them, the atmospheric pollution and economic development level has a promoting effect on the increased cost of health, in other words, the formation of health costs is affected by one or more factors.We use the empirical analysis method to further analysis under the results of the theoretical basis. First, contrasting the main measurement of health cost, and lock health costs for losses caused by bronchitis, cor pulmonale and lung cancer, selecting the method of human capital to measure the health costs from 2003 to 2013 with the national and provincial. The results showed that the health costs of residents keep rising trend throughout the years. In 2003 and 2013 national residents health costs 182.7906 billion yuan and 772.2536 billion yuan respectively. In the meantime, the compound annual growth rate is 15.5%.Then, establishes the econometric model, using provincial data from 2003 to 2013(not including Tibet, Tunnan, Hainan) for verification. Inspection steps followed by descriptive statistics, spearman inspection, hausman test, the results of regression analysis is suitable for the fixed effects model. To reflect the differences of sulfur dioxide and YanFenChen impact on health cost, establishing model and inspection respectively, the results showed that the rising of cumulative emissions of sulfur dioxide, YanFenChen cumulative emissions, mortality, and urban per capita disposable income plays a promoting role in the increased cost of health, at the same time, the increase of the ratio of educational expenditure in the financial expenditure, the ratio of investment for environmental pollution treatment in GDP and the per capita green area is helpful to decline health costs. Among them, the significance of the ratio of investment for environmental pollution treatment in GDP and the per capita green area impact on the health costs are much more higher than that of cumulative emissions of sulfur dioxide, YanFenChen cumulative emissions and urban per capita disposable income, at the same time the significance of YanFenChen influence health costs is higher than sulfur dioxide.Based on above analysis,the formation of health costs is not only related to air pollution, but also with the level of economic development, education level, residents’ health status, government commitment to governance environment, the condition of urban greening and other related factors. Therefore, when we searching for the methods that how to alleviate environmental pollution condition and decrease the cost of residents’ health, first of all, we should know the relationship between health cost and other factors, such as: the results lowering of health costs is more effective in environmental governance investment than the effect of combined in air pollutants and income. Then, we compared the differences to analyze reason of all variables. Through extensive research and discussion of all variables, we will policy Suggestions from two aspects of environmental regulation and health care, the environmental regulation Suggestions as follows: information disclosure of environmental pollution, and improve the system of environmental public interest litigation, strengthening the environmental governance investment and focus on YanFenChen governance; The suggestions of health care as follows: Collecting ecologic tax to allowance for residents, promoting the implementation of the environmental liability insurance to achieve reduce medical costs and establishing perfect health management system to reduce the information asymmetry.