title: [Trends in health care expenditures in Lithuania].
abstract: The aim of the study was to analyze the tendencies of public and private health care expenditure in Lithuania during 1994-1999. Crude examination of statistical data show, that the growth rate of health care spending per capital is largely determined by growth of national gross domestic product (GDP). We have estimated that health care spending in Lithuania have risen twice faster than GDP during 1994-1999. (Percentage of rise in health care spending, divided by percentage rise of GDP, is +2.26). The introduction of compulsory health insurance in 1997, and the development of private health care sector in Lithuania, led to increase health care expenditure in total, and has influenced changes in public-private spending proportions. A source of private spending in national health account has increased from 15 per cent in 1994-1995 to 24 percent in 1996-1999. The tendency of increasing private spending shows, the evidence, that households are facing more financial risk of purchasing health care. This should be an implication for health care policy makers. Further decisions to increase private payments have to be based on evidence after detailed analysis of impact of consequences on health care access for various social economic groups of population.
authors.affiliation: Vilniaus universiteto Medicinos fakulteto Socialines medicinos centras.
authors.forename: Danguole
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jankauskiene
authors.forename: Jolanta
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zemguliene
authors.forename: Aldona
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gaizauskiene
mesh_terms: D005380:Financing, Government; D005382:Financing, Personal; D018166:Health Care Reform / Q000191:economics*; D005102:Health Expenditures / Q000639:trends*; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D007348:Insurance, Health; D008097:Lithuania; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D012424:Rural Population; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014505:Urban Population