Private health insurance in developing countries.
A joint Wharton School-World Bank conference called attention to the high proportions of medical care spending paid out of pocket in most developing countries. One of the reasons for this, attendees said, is the problem in such economies of generating high tax revenues in a nondistortive way. Since people are paying out of pocket, they should be able to afford some private insurance that can spread the risk of above-average out-of-pocket payments. The potential efficiency gains from greater use of voluntary private insurance seem large, but there are a number of possible impediments to the emergence of such insurance.
Pauly
Mark V
MV
Health Care Systems Department, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA. pauly@wharton.upenn.edu
Zweifel
Peter
P
Scheffler
Richard M
RM
Preker
Alexander S
AS
Bassett
Mark
M
D003906:Developing Countries / Q000191:economics*; D005382:Financing, Personal / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D005102:Health Expenditures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D007348:Insurance, Health / Q000191:economics*; D009313:National Health Programs; D012306:Risk; D013660:Taxes