Description:
Background Medical reimbursement in China is not for all diseases, and medical reimbursement expenses are not completely consistent with medical service demand, though the scope and proportion of medical reimbursement are gradually expanding. This study aimed to examine the efect of retirement on medical reimbursement expenses in urban China. Methods The efect of retirement on medical reimbursement expenses were estimated by using fuzzy regression discontinuity based on data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) in 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2018. Its group heterogeneity by educational backgrounds and marital status, and underlying mechanisms were also explored. Results Retirement increased medical reimbursement expenses of outpatient signifcantly (P<0.05).Low time cost and deteriorating health status after retirement were possible mechanisms in this association. Retirement increased the reimbursement expenses signifcantly among the older adults with more educational obtainment or being widowed/divorced. Conclusion The above fndings indicated that there was a positive association between retirement and medical reimbursement expenses. The scope and proportion of medical reimbursement should be incorporated into retirement policy for improving medical service accessibility and rational healthcare utilization of retired population.