Mechanism analysis: hospitalization frequency.

As China faces an aging population and changing family dynamics, including smaller nuclear families and increased mobility, it is crucial to understand how long-term care insurance policies affect intergenerational support for older adults. This study investigates the impact of these policies on economic, caregiving, and emotional support for individuals aged 60 and above. Using multi-period difference-in-differences models and unbalanced panel data from the CHARLS database (2011–2020), the analysis focuses on 66 Chinese pilot cities implementing long-term care insurance policies, emphasizing urban households and healthier elderly groups. The findings show that long-term care insurance policies significantly reduce children’s financial and caregiving burdens while strengthening emotional bonds between older parents and their children. These effects are stronger in urban areas and among healthier elderly populations, indicating that household context and health status influence policy benefits. The results highlight the role of these policies in easing intergenerational pressures amid demographic shifts and provide evidence to improve policy design. By revealing differences in policy effectiveness across family types, this study offers theoretical insights for developing targeted eldercare strategies. It supports government efforts to tackle aging-related challenges and promote sustainable family support systems. The research underscores the need for flexible policies that respond to evolving societal needs and ensure equitable care for China’s elderly.

伴随着中国面临人口老龄化与家庭结构变迁——包括核心家庭规模缩小、人口流动性提升——厘清长期护理保险（long-term care insurance）政策如何影响老年人的代际支持，具备至关重要的意义。本研究聚焦60岁及以上群体，探讨此类政策对其经济支持、照料支持与情感支持的影响。本研究采用多期双重差分模型，结合中国健康与养老追踪调查（China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, CHARLS）2011-2020年的非平衡面板数据，以实施长期护理保险政策的66个中国试点城市为分析样本，重点关注城镇家庭与健康状况较好的老年群体。研究结果显示，长期护理保险政策可显著减轻子女的经济与照料负担，同时强化老年父母与子女间的情感联结。此类政策效应在城镇地区与健康状况较好的老年群体中更为显著，表明家庭环境与健康状况会影响政策的受益效果。研究结果凸显了此类政策在人口结构变迁背景下缓解代际压力的作用，并为优化政策设计提供了实证依据。本研究通过揭示不同家庭类型下政策效力的差异，为制定精准化养老照料策略提供了理论参考。本研究可为政府应对老龄化相关挑战、构建可持续的家庭支持体系提供支撑。本研究同时强调，需制定适配社会需求变迁的弹性政策，以保障中国老年人获得公平的照料服务。