Table 1 Description of dependent and independent variables

 Net benefit of inpatient care

the absolute amount of reimbursement received(yuan RMB)

Subtract individual payment from the total hospitalization expense

 Gender

=1 if male; =2 if female.

 Age

=1 if≤45; =2 if 45–59; =3 if ≥60.

 Marital status

=1 if married;

=2 if divorced/single/separated/other.

Question: What is your present marital status?

 Educational level

=1 if under primary school;

=2 if junior;

=3 if high school or above.

The highest degree of education received or a degree equivalent to an existing cultural level

 Chronic

=1 if no chronic;

=2 if one or multiple chronic.

Question: Have you been diagnosed with any chronic diseases by a doctor? Chronic diseases listed subsequently.

 Distance to the medical institution

=1 if < 1 km; =2 if≥1 km.

Question: How many kilometers is the nearest medical institution from your home?

 Willingness to seek medical services

=1 if primary hospital(village/private clinics/community health service station/township hospital/community health service center);

=2 if general hospital or TCM hospital (traditional Chinese medicine)

Question: For general diseases, what kind of medical institutions do you and your family members go to?

 Health status (EQ-VAS: self-reported)

=1 if very poor(0–20); =2 if poor(21–40); =3 if medium(41–60); =4 if good(41–80); =0 if excellent(81–100).

Health status on a 20 cm vertical scale with end points of 0 and 100 was asked on the day of the interview.

 Employment status

=1 if employment; =2 if retirement; =3 if student or unemployment.

Question: What is your present employment situation? [conditions listed below, read one by one]

 Per capita income

Household per capita income over the last year(yuan RMB)