Research On The Impact Of Long-Term Care Insurance On Intergenerational Support Within Families

As the aging and increasing elderly population in our country continues to deepen,the number of disabled elderly people is constantly rising,making the issue of elderly care more and more prominent.For a long time,families have been bearing the core responsibility of elderly care.However,under the background of increasingly smaller and nuclear family structures and the increasing mobility of the population,the traditional family care model with children as the main caregivers is becoming increasingly unsustainable.In response to this challenge,since 2016,China has piloted a long-term care insurance system in 15 cities nationwide,aiming to provide more professional,cost-effective,and diverse social care services for disabled elderly people.This policy may to some extent change the choice of care model,thus having an impact on intergenerational family support.Based on this,this study uses the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study(CHARLS)panel data from 2013,2015,and 2018 to explore the impact of the long-term care insurance pilot policy on intergenerational family support and its underlying mechanisms.First,the study reviews the long-term care insurance policy and the current status of intergenerational family support,proposes three research hypotheses based on intergenerational support theory,and builds a difference-in-differences model for basic regression and heterogeneity analysis.Second,it verifies the robustness of the conclusions through parallel trend tests and placebo tests.Finally,it uses a moderating effect model and cross-sectional data from2018 to explore the channels of policy effects.The empirical results of this study show that: first,long-term care insurance reduces the intergenerational economic burden on children,with cash and in-kind transfers to parents decreasing by 3772 yuan/year and 2648 yuan/year,respectively.Second,long-term care insurance strengthens intergenerational emotional ties,with the frequency of contact and visits between children and parents increasing by 76.4%and 68.1%,respectively.Third,long-term care insurance has a crowding-out effect on informal care provided by children to their parents,with the time spent on daily care decreasing by 34.3%.Fourth,the impact of long-term care insurance on intergenerational family support has heterogeneity in urban-rural areas,health status,and income.The long-term care insurance has a more significant effect on reducing economic burden and emotional support in rural families,and the support effect is more evident for families with good health and higher income.Fifth,medical expenses and downward intergenerational sharing have a moderating effect on intergenerational family support,while community elderly care service utilization and formal care are the channels for formal care.Based on the above research conclusions,this paper puts forward the following policy suggestions: First,improve the long-term care insurance system,expand the coverage of the insured population,and achieve widespread protection and fairness.Second,optimize the long-term care service system,develop socialized care service institutions,achieve effective connection between formal care services and informal care services,and improve service quality and diversity.Third,accelerate the construction of long-term care support systems,cultivate a talent pool for care services,establish a scientific assessment mechanism,promote the digitalization of the elderly care industry,and enhance service efficiency and sustainability.Finally,increase support for family care,strengthen support for elderly family caregivers,establish an informal caregiver allowance system,and alleviate the burden and pressure on families.