Effect of integrated urban and rural residents' medical insurance on the cost of services to patients with severe mental illness in China: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundMental illness is often a chronic disease involving long treatment durations. It is characterised by high relapse rates and a high degree of disability, resulting in high socioeconomic aggregate costs to families and the health insurance system. However, the evidence of policy effects on the cost of mental illness to patients is insufficient. In 2016, the Chinese Government integrated the Urban Resident Basic Medical Insurance (URBMI)...