title: [Evaluating cost/equity in the Colombian health system, 1998-2005].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  An economic analysis of cost-equity (from society's viewpoint) for evaluating the impact of Law 100/93 in Colombia between 1998 and 2005.
  
  
  METHODS
  An economic analysis compared costs and equity in health in Colombia between 1998 and 2005. Data was taken from the Colombian Statistics' Administration Department ( Departamento Administrativo Nacional de Estadistica - DANE) and from national demographic and health surveys carried out in 2000 and 2005. Information regarding costs was taken from the National Health Accounts' System. Inequity in Health was considered in line with the Inequity in Health Index (IHI). Incremental and average cost-equity analysis covered three sub-periods; 1998-1999 (during which time per capita gross internal product became reduced in Colombia ), 2000-2001 (during which time total health expense became reduced) and 2001 -2005.
  
  
  RESULTS
  An unstable tendency for inequity in health becoming reduced during the period was revealed. There was an inverse relationship between IHI and public health spending and a direct relationship between out-of-pocket spending on health and equity in health (Spearman, p<0.05). The second period had the best incremental cost-equity ratio.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Fluctuations in IHI and marginal cost-equity during the periods being analysed suggested that health spending depended on equity in health in Colombia during the period being studied.
authors: Instituto de Investigaciones Clínicas, Instituto de Salud Pública. Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional de Colombia. jheslavas@unal.edu.co
authors: Javier
authors: J
authors: Eslava-Schmalbach
authors: Gilberto
authors: G
authors: Barón
authors: Hernando
authors: H
authors: Gaitán-Duarte
authors: Helman
authors: H
authors: Alfonso
authors: Carlos
authors: C
authors: Agudelo
authors: Carolina
authors: C
authors: Sánchez
mesh_terms: D003105:Colombia; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000191:economics* / Q000592:standards*; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D012935:Social Justice