More Than Health: Long-Term Care Insurance Reshaping Family Support in Aging China

China's rapidly aging population has strained traditional family-based elder care, leading to the introduction of Long-Term Care Insurance (LTCI) as a government-supported solution. Using data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) and employing Difference-in-Differences (DID) and Triple-Difference (DDD) methodologies, this study explores LTCI's impact on intergenerational financial transfers within households. The findings demonstrate that LTCI significantly increases financial support from elderly parents to adult children by reducing elder care-related economic burdens. This effect is notably stronger in low-income families, indicating LTCI's potential to alleviate economic pressures disproportionately experienced by disadvantaged households. By facilitating greater intergenerational financial support, LTCI not only enhances household economic resilience but also contributes to broader social stability and reduced inequality. These insights highlight LTCI's important role beyond health outcomes, emphasizing its strategic value in reshaping family economic dynamics and informing policymakers aiming to strengthen social equity in the context of an aging society.