Illness in Cities: Claimants Appreciate the Usefulness of “Money”

Abstract

Migrant workers have a high risk of infectious and communicable diseases, sexually transmitted diseases, and reproductive health problems. In 2003, the central government introduced the New Rural Medical Cooperative Scheme (NRMCS), which is a health insurance system targeted at citizens with agricultural hukou. Due to governmental subsidies, NRMCS participants only need to pay a small percentage of the contribution to join the NRMCS. The majority of migrant workers participate in the NRMCS at the places of their origin. In the case of catastrophic illnesses, they often choose to receive inpatient treatment at the designated hospitals of the NRMCS and enjoy benefits that range from 30 to 70% of the treatment cost. Therefore, it is common to find migrant workers coping with illness through administrative coping. The NRMCS can be regarded as the most effective policy. One of the main reasons is that everyone can appreciate the usefulness of “money.”