Abstract Bases on the data available in the China Labor Dynamics Survey (CLDS) and the Difference-in-Differences (DID) model, this study examines the effects and mechanisms of the urban-rural medical insurance integration policy on rural residents' life satisfaction from the perspective of social fairness. The results show that the urban-rural medical insurance integration policy significantly improves the life satisfaction of rural residents in China, and this conclusion still holds after a series of robustness tests. The mediation analysis indicates that individuals' perception of social fairness serves as a significant pathway through which the urban-rural medical insurance integration policy influences the life satisfaction of rural residents in China. However, the variable of individual health status does not mediate this effect. Gender heterogeneity analysis shows that compared to the male population, the positive impact of the urban-rural medical insurance pooling policy on rural residents' sense of social fairness and life satisfaction is more prominent in the female population. The study deepens the understanding of the social welfare effects of the urban-rural medical insurance integration policy and has certain theoretical reference value for how to further enhance the sense of social equity and gain among rural residents in China.
CHEN Xiaodong. Urban and Rural Medical Insurance Integration, Sense of Social Fairness and Rural Residents' Life Satisfaction. Economic Survey, 2025, 42(1): 028.
2025, Vol. 42 
