Too Costly To Be Ill: Healthcare Access and Health-Seeking Behaviours among Rural-to-Urban Migrants in China.

Of the 114 million rural-to-urban migrants in China, most have only temporary employment in the cities. Because of their non-urban residence, they are not entitled to many benefits and services accorded to most urban dwellers. Only limited research has been conducted on the healthcare access and health-seeking behaviours of this population. This study, based on qualitative data from in-depth interviews with 90 rural-to-urban migrants, found that migrants had limited access to regular medical services. Lack of insurance coverage, high cost of healthcare and exacting work schedules have resulted in use of unsupervised self-treatment or substandard care. The health-seeking behaviours of migrants have led to suboptimal health consequences, including delayed treatment of illnesses. Findings from this study underscore the importance of reducing institutional barriers to health services and providing affordable healthcare to this population.