Changes and Challenges in China: Is the “Open Policy” Closing Doors in Chinese Hospitals?

Abstract

Since 1978, China's economic reforms and her pursuit of modern technology have significantly opened the scope of her hospital services and financing. While the decentralization and higher incomes have given Chinese hospitals new freedoms, they have also raised the specter of new limitations on access to healthcare. The authors review these changes and consider what the future holds for the Chinese hospital system.