OECD Health Working Papers

ISSN :
1815-2015 (online)
DOI :
10.1787/18152015
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This series is designed to make available to a wider readership health studies prepared for use within the OECD. Authorship is usually collective, but principal writers are named. The papers are generally available only in their original language - English or French - with a summary in the other.
 

Income-Related Inequalities in Health Service Utilisation in 19 OECD Countries, 2008-2009 You or your institution have access to this content

Authors:
Marion Devaux1, Michael de Looper1
Author Affiliations
  • 1: OECD, France

Publication Date
10 July 2012
Bibliographic information
No.:
58
Pages
61
DOI
10.1787/5k95xd6stnxt-en

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This Working Paper examines income-related inequalities in health care service utilisation in OECD countries. It extends a previous analysis (Van Doorslaer and Masseria, 2004) to 2008-2009 for 13 countries, and adds new results for 6 countries, for doctor and dentist visits, and cancer screening. Quintile distributions and concentration indices were used to assess inequalities. For doctor visits, horizontal equity was assessed, i.e. the extent to which adults in equal need of physician care appear to have equal rates of utilisation. The paper considers the evolution of inequalities over time by comparing results with the previous study, as data permit. Health system financing arrangements are examined to see how these might affect inequalities in health service use.
Keywords:
private health insurance, health care, inequality
JEL Classification:
  • I14: Health, Education, and Welfare / Health / Health and Inequality
  • I18: Health, Education, and Welfare / Health / Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health