Cumulative Disadvantage of Migrants in China: The Mediating Role of Healthcare Access in Health Disparities

Health disparities among internal migrants in China remain a critical challenge. Drawing on nationally representative data from the 2017 China Migrants Dynamic Survey and guided by the Andersen’s Behavioral Model of Health Services Use and the Dahlgren‐Whitehead model, this study employs ordered probit regression and the Karlson‐Holm‐Breen method to analyze the complex relationships between ethnicity, gender, education, healthcare access, and self‐rated health. Findings reveal significant health disparities: ethnic minority groups generally report poorer health than the Han majority, and women report poorer health than men. Higher education is strongly associated with better health. Crucially, the role of healthcare access is nuanced and varies by measure; while it may widen the health gap for some minority groups, it appears to reduce disparities for others, such as the Hui, Uygur, and Ha. Access also helps mitigate the gender health gap. Mediation analysis indicates that healthcare access, particularly through services like health records and family doctors, explains a portion of the benefits associated with higher education. This study underscores that healthcare access is not a uniform solution to health inequities and highlights the need for targeted, equity‐focused policies that address the specific barriers faced by different migrant subgroups.