Enhancing pooling levels strengthens the risk resilience of healthcare insurance: a case study of basic medical insurance fund operations data in Gansu, China.

BACKGROUND: In China, enhancing the pooling levels of basic health insurance has consistently been regarded as a pivotal measure to promote the refinement of the healthcare insurance system. From 2020 to 2022, the widespread outbreak of COVID-19 posed new challenges to China's basic health insurance. METHODS: The research utilizes Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), Malmquist index assessment, and fixed-effects panel Tobit models to analyze panel data from 2020 to 2022, assessing the efficiency of basic health insurance in Gansu Province. RESULTS: From 2020 to 2022, the average overall efficiency of the municipal pooling of Basic Medical Insurance for Urban and Rural Residents was 0.941, demonstrating a stable trend with a modest increase. The efficiency frontier regions have expanded from 5 (35.71%) to 7 (50%). Operational efficiency exhibited a negative correlation with per capita hospitalization expenses and per capita fund balance but a positive correlation with per capita accumulated fund balance and reimbursement rates for hospitalized patients. In 2021, compared to 2020, the county-pooling Basic Medical Insurance for Urban Employees saw a decline of 0.126 in overall efficiency, reducing the efficiency frontier regions from 8 to 3. However, from 2021 to 2022, the municipal-coordinated Basic Medical Insurance for Urban Employees experienced a 0.069 increase in overall efficiency, with the efficiency frontier regions expanding from 3 to 5. Throughout 2020 to 2022, the operational efficiency of the Urban Employee Basic Medical Insurance showed a consistent negative correlation with per capita fund balance. CONCLUSION: From 2020 to 2022, the overall operational performance of basic health insurance in Gansu Province was satisfactory, and enhancing the pooling level is beneficial in addressing the impact of unforeseen events on the health insurance system.

Effect of Dahuang Xiezhuo Prescription on Renal Interstitial Fibrosis of Rats with 5/6 Nephrectomy by Regulating ROS/TXNIP/NLRP3 Pathway / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo observe the effect of Dahuang Xiezhuo prescription on the changes in renal pathology and reactive oxygen species （ROS）/thioredoxin-interacting protein （TXNIP）/NOD-like receptor protein 3 （NLRP3） pathway expression in the kidney tissues of rats with 5/6 nephrectomy， and to explore the mechanism of Dahuang Xiezhuo prescription in protecting renal function and delaying renal interstitial fibrosis and the possibility. MethodNinety healthy male SD rats were randomly divided into a sham operation group， a model group， low， medium， and high-dose （6.825， 13.65， 27.30 g·kg-1） Dahuang Xiezhuo prescription groups， and a Niaoduqing granule group （2.60 g·kg-1）. Except the sham operation group， 5/6 nephrectomy was used to replicate the rat model of chronic renal failure （CRF）. After modeling， each administration group was given the corresponding dose of drug suspension by intragastric administration， once a day for consecutive 8 weeks. After administration， serum creatinine （SCr） and urea nitrogen （BUN） levels and 24 h urinary protein quantification （UTP） levels were detected. Western blot assay was used to detect the protein expressions of thioredoxin （TRX）， TXNIP， and NLRP3. The protein expressions of TRX， TXNIP， NLRP3， apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD （ASC）， transformation growth factor-β （TGF-β）， Collagen Ⅳ， α-smooth muscle actin （α-SMA）， and fibronectin （FN） were detected by immunohistochemistry. ResultAs compared with the sham operation group， serum levels of SCr， BUN， and UTP in the model group were increased （P<0.05）， TRX， TXNIP， NLRP3， ASC， TGF-β， Collagen Ⅳ， α-SMA， and FN proteins were increased （P<0.01）， and renal interstitial fibrosis significantly occurred. As compared with the model group， the levels of SCr， 24 h BUN， and UTP in the low， medium， and high-dose Dahuang Xiezhuo prescription groups and the Niaoduqing granule group were decreased to varying degrees （P<0.05）， TRX， TXNIP， NLRP3， ASC， TGF-β， Collagen Ⅳ， α-SMA， and FN were decreased （P<0.01）， and renal interstitial fibrosis was improved to varying degrees. ConclusionDahuang Xiezhuo prescription can protect renal function and delay renal interstitial fibrosis in rats with CRF.