By Liu Shenglan, Feng Wenmeng& Ge Yanfeng, Research Team on "Strategies for Advancing Health-Wellness-Based Old-age Care", Research Department of Social Development, DRC

Research Report, No.223, 2019 (Total 5723) 2019-12-13

Abstract: In the context of a rapid aging society and in light of the special needs of the old people, we need to improve the livelihood insurance for them and establish a sustainable and targeted service system aiming to enhance the connectivity between supply and demand. Research findings show thatcontracted family doctor service system in China is incomplete, the proportion of institutions providing elderly care service is relatively low both now and in the near future while the demand for community-based elderly care services is mounting. The health care for old people has become complicatedwith new development trends and the spurt in the number of chronic diseases, comorbidities, disabilities and dementia requires the joint efforts of both disease prevention and treatment system and the medical care industries to adjust the focal points and modes of health care services. We need to pay close attention to the following issues such as the relatively low income of old people, the wide income gap between the elders, the relatively weakpension insurance system and the sustainable insurance fund-raising arrangements for elderly care. People who are becomingold day by day are faced with economic and health risks with more uncertainties and more diversified demand. Work needs to be done in advance to focus on and seize the "window period" to tackle the issues mentioned above. Special attention needs to be paid to the gap between urban and rural areas, and old people in rural areas might face a heavier burden relating to daily life and health care.

Key words: old people, medical and health care services, economic insurance, demand