This study analyzed data of respondents who were age 60 or over in Wave 2002 of Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey and whose survival statuses were followed in Wave 2005. Using discrete-time hazard techniques to model the risk of dying over the span of almost three years,the empirical results indicates that selective mortality exists between the elder with and without public health insurance (PHI):those subgroups without PHI systematically experience higher mortality at younger age,leaving a more robust group of individuals in the surviving population.As age advances,this group exhibits lower mortality compared with those with PHI.There is a mortality crossover at age 96 among Chinese elders,indicating that PHI has a lasting and positive effect on health and longevity.