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Equity in Health Care Utilization: Further Tests Based on Hurdle Models and Swedish Micro Data
Author(s) -
Gerdtham Ulf G.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
health economics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.55
H-Index - 109
eISSN - 1099-1050
pISSN - 1057-9230
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1099-1050(199705)6:3<303::aid-hec270>3.0.co;2-p
Subject(s) - residence , socioeconomic status , equity (law) , health care , null hypothesis , medicine , actuarial science , demography , environmental health , econometrics , economics , demographic economics , population , economic growth , sociology , political science , law
This paper tests the null hypothesis of no horizontal inequity in delivery of health care by use of count data hurdle models and Swedish micro data. It differs from most earlier work in three principal ways: First, the tests are carried out separately for physician and hospital care; second, the tests are carried out separately for the probability of seeking care and the amount of care received (given any use); and third, the tests are based on a model that includes several socioeconomic variables, e.g. income, education and size of community of residence. The paper rejects the hypothesis of no inequity because socioeconomic factors also have significant effects on utilization, e.g. income and size of community of residence. Size of community of residence has a positive significant effect on the frequency of physician visits but not on the probability of visiting a physician. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.