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Beijing Forum 2007: ‗Population Aging
and Health Care Provision: Lesson
from Canada and the U.S.‘, given by
Wu Zheng
By Ning Jing
PKU NEWS 2007--11--09
http://ennews.pku.edu.cn/news.php?s=194591000
Peking University, Beijing, 2007/11/3: The panel ‗Diversity of Population
Development and Health Security‘ of Beijing Forum 2007 was held in the Guanghua
School of Management of Peking University, Nov. 3rd, 2007.
Professor Wu Zheng from University of Victoria gave a speech named ‗Population
Aging and Health Care Provision: Lesson from Canada and the U.S.‘ in the panel.
As Prof. Wu mentioned, the current age structure transition of China‘s population
presents numerous developmental challenges. ‗Through stringent birth control
policies and improvements in public health, the Chinese population is aging at a
rapid pace. This demographic process involves a proportionate decline of working
age adults and a proportionate increase of dependent adults, which has deep-seated
implications for existing institutions and social arrangements in the post-reform
China. Of particular concern is the well-being of Chinese seniors, whose growing
numbers could represent a public welfare crisis.‘
Prof. Wu compared the Canadian single-payer health insurance system
(semi-socialized medicine) with the American privatized medical system in order to
present lessons relevant to China‘s demographic and economic circumstances. He
pointed out that China is experiencing a fundamental transformation of its population
structure. ‗The Chinese population structure is aging at an unprecedented rate. As of
2000, there were 88 million senior-aged persons in China; their numbers will
increase to 322 million by mid-century. The senior-aged population and the oldest
old in particular, consume disproportionate amounts of health care services because
their health care needs increase with age-related biological deterioration. With
economic reforms, China switched from an inclusive model of health care coverage
to a more American-style system of health care delivery. China cannot continue to
rely on a health care system that is regulated by laissez-faire principle without risking
a health care crisis. The government needs to adopt a single-payer system to ensure
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