The Role of Health Care Transformation for the Chinese Dream

After having successfully expanded health insurance coverage, China now faces the challenge of building an effective and efficient delivery system to serve its large and aging population. The country finds itself at a crossroads{u2014}it can emulate the models of Western countries with their well-known limitations, or embark on an ambitious endeavor to create an innovative and sustainable model. RAND researchers recommend that China choose the second option and design and implement a health care system based on population health management principles and sophisticated health information technology. Taking this path could yield a triple dividend for China: Health care will contribute to the growth of service sector employment, stimulate domestic demand by unlocking savings, and enable China to export its health system development capabilities to other countries, mirroring its success in building other critical infrastructure. These forces can help turn the Chinese Dream into a reality.