Taiwan's health care cost burden of the equity analysis: the financial impact on families

Taiwan's health care cost burden of the equity analysis: the financial impact on families

Equity of Health Care Financial Burden in Taiwan: the Impact on Family Budgets

Abstract

In order to ensure that all citizens have access to appropriate

medical care, get rid of because of lack of medical treatment caused by obstacles, the Republic of China 80 years from March 1, was officially launched in Taiwan National Health Insurance. However, the burden of health care costs means structure, the burden of health insurance premiums Although the proportion jumped to 50 percent or more, but privately some are still highest in the 35%

approximately, compared to other implementation of social

insurance countries such as Germany, France and the Netherlands, remained high. Accordingly, this study was to investigate the implementation of national health insurance, the burden of

household costs of health care costs are due to structural changes in the proportion of the burden of way, but really makes the burden of the cost of medical care more equitable.

Health care cost burden of fairness can be divided into two aspects of the question, one for the level of fair and equal pay that is equal to those who can afford the medical expenses; the other is vertical equity, which means not equal ability to pay should pay the medical costs of different. Accordingly, this study will be the burden of health care costs of equity, divided to two parts of.

First, this study analyzes the Taiwan Cavani index of household health care cost burden of vertical equity. The results showed that Taiwan's overall burden of health care costs, the show is a

regressive effect.

Then, in terms of horizontal equity. In this study, the cost to

compare the proportion of total income, urbanization level of

different type or different family types of households, whether the

burden of the cost difference. The results showed that, in the same

income level, households located in the higher degree of

urbanization, household burdens would be higher. In the family type, the three generations of one family pay the health care cost burden of the most important, single elderly households pay the lightest of the health care costs; but pocket health care costs, the burden of old age couples families of-pocket medical care costs of more heavy.

Finally, to understand the characteristics of the household burden of the cost of this study, least squares multiple regression model analysts household characteristics and the relationship between the cost burden, the following findings: 1. The number of households for the cost of effects were statistically significant level, and the costs and positively correlated between. 2. In addition to household cum employer health insurance costs, the rural household level do not pay other fees and city level do not significantly differ households.

Village level household burden than urban households are more layers of households from paying health insurance costs, on the contrary, the city level do not pay the total health care costs and higher health care costs at their own expense. 3. A variety of family types and the three generations of single-salary costs of the

household in the burden of the differences, not all statistically significant level. Reached statistically significant levels of family type of view, various family types than the cost borne by three generations of single-family households pay less, the most special is that only elderly couple households-pocket health care cost burden of more than three generations of single-salary families more. 4.

The higher the income level, the greater the burden of the cost.

Between costs and income are related to income level will increase with the increase, that is, the higher the income level, income increased by more than the greater burden of costs.

English Abstract