Waiting times and socioeconomic status. Evidence from Norway.
We investigate whether socioeconomic status, measured by income and education, affects waiting time when controls for severity and hospital-specific conditions are included. We also examine which aspects of the hospital supply (attachment to local hospital, traveling time, or choice of hospital) matter most for unequal treatment of different socioeconomic groups. The study uses administrative data from all elective inpatient and outpatient stays in somatic hospitals in Norway. The main results are that we find very little indication of discrimination with regard to income and education when both severity and aspects of hospital supply are controlled for. This result holds for both men and women.
Department of Economics and HEB, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.
Oddvar
O
Kaarboe
Fredrik
F
Carlsen
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017558:Elective Surgical Procedures / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006761:Hospitals / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009664:Norway; D010045:Outpatients / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012923:Social Class; D061665:Time-to-Treatment / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014850:Waiting Lists
administrative data; socioeconomic status; waiting time