CONFERENCES AND EVENTS Qian Zhang, Julia Shu-Huah Wang, Alex Jingwei He, Chenhong Peng, Aya Abe, Inhoe Ku, Irene Y.H. Ng, Xi Zhao “Providing financial protection in health for low-income populations: a comparison of health financing designs in East Asia” International Journal for Equity in Health (2025) Focus of Study This study comparatively explores health nancing designs (SHI and MFA) and nancial protection outcomes for low-income populations across six East Asian societies. Using the model family approach and simulating lung cancer-related catastrophic spending, it nds Taiwan and Hong Kong’s inclusive models offer the strongest protection, while mainland China’s minimalist model provides limited bene ts, with near-poor groups facing higher catastrophic spending risks. Policy Recommendations Policymakers should expand MFA coverage and generosity, prioritize protection for near-poor groups, and reference inclusive models to optimize SHI-MFA coordination, enhancing equitable nancial protection in health. Qiang Wang, Alex Jingwei He “Central–local relations, accountability, and defensive administration: unraveling the puzzling shrinkage of China’s urban social safety net”Journal of Social Policy (2025) Focus of Study This study employs a principal-agent framework and difference-in-differences (DID) strategy, drawing on unique city-level panel data (2009–2019) covering 274 prefectural cities to unravel the puzzling shrinkage of China’s urban Dibao program. It nds that upper-level discipline inspections signi cantly reduce Dibao coverage, an effect reinforced by local anti-corruption intensity (measured by duty-related crimes per 10,000 public personnel). Local governments, driven by blame avoidance, adopt defensive administration— tightening eligibility screening and forcing unwarranted exits—leading to distorted welfare provision that unjustly excludes numerous deserving recipients. Policy Recommendations Policymakers should strengthen informational capacity (e.g., big data platforms) to mitigate principal-agent information asymmetry, balance central regulatory oversight with local implementation exibility, and avoid campaign-style enforcement to curb defensive behaviors, ensuring social assistance programs like Dibao deliver targeted, equitable support. 22
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