自20世纪80年代中期开始,我国对农村养老、医疗、社会救助等主要社会保障项目进行了一系列改革的尝试和探索。这一时期的改革在制度本身的建设、制度环境的建设及立法保障的建设等方面都取得了一定的进展。但由于多种原因,总的来说,农村社会保障改革的步伐不大,制度化程度还不高,家庭保障仍是农村社会保障的基本模式,保障功能差且比较脆弱。改革以来农村社会保障制度建设的偏差主要表现在对土地的保障功能估计过高,对农村社会保障制度建设缺乏明确的目标定位和稳定的推进措施,政府本该履行的角色不到位等。

Since mid-1980s, China has adapted measures to reform the main items of the rural social security system such as provision for the old, medical care and social assistance. The orientation of institution construction is correct for reform occurring during the period. That the country has gradually added investment to help the poor and decrease poverty created the essential prerequisites to quicken construction of the rural social security system. It was also reasonable and reliable under specified conditions to change the rural social security system while the country stabilized the land contract system. But the reform still existed some defects due to many reasons. The reform is obviously too slow than the urban areas. Up to now, the country has not had reasonable goals and stable measures to develop the social security system in the rural regions, the institution construction remains insufficient, and the government has not played its full role at construction of the rural social security.