Equity in the delivery of health care: some international comparisons.
This paper presents the results of an eight-country comparative study of equity in the delivery of health care. Equity is taken to mean that persons in equal need of health care should be treated the same, irrespective of their income. Two methods are used to investigate inequity: an index of inequity based on standardized expenditure shares, and a regression-based test. The results suggest that inequity exists in most of the eight countries, but there is no simple one-to-one correspondence between a country's delivery system and the degree to which persons in equal need are treated the same.
van Doorslaer
E
E
Erasmus University, Rotterdam, Netherlands.
Wagstaff
A
A
Calonge
S
S
Christiansen
T
T
Gerfin
M
M
Gottschalk
P
P
Janssen
R
R
Lachaud
C
C
Leu
R E
RE
Nolan
B
B
D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000191:economics* / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005060:Europe; D005102:Health Expenditures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000191:economics* / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006302:Health Services Research; D007182:Income / Q000145:classification; D007348:Insurance, Health / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D038622:Internationality; D017059:Models, Econometric; D009313:National Health Programs / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012935:Social Justice / Q000191:economics*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013222:State Medicine / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014481:United States