Can health poverty alleviation policies simultaneously mitigate current and future medical-related poverty? Evidence from four waves (2011–2018) of the China health and retirement longitudinal study (CHARLS)

The HPAP policy achieved notable effects in alleviating the direct economic burden caused by illness, but its impact on the long-term health poverty vulnerability of uncompensated low-to-medium-risk households remains limited. This disparity in effects primarily stems from the policy's focus on medical cost control, which, while helpful in reducing CHE, lacks systematic investment in health capacity building. Future policy design should strengthen risk identification and dynamic monitoring mechanisms, expand the scope of coverage for preventive care to achieve sustainable mitigation of health poverty vulnerability.