In the wake of Chinas market reforms, many peoples opportunity to obtain healthcare services deteriorated. Problems of the healthcare sector have become a major source of social discontent. In response, Chinas government recently embarked on ambitious health system reforms. This book describes how the healthcare system and the governments efforts to improve it are experienced at the grassroots. Based on a case study of an earthquake affected village in Sichuan province, it asks how and why problems of inequitable and inefficient distribution of medical services arise. It argues that in order...