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Federalism and regional health care expenditures: an empirical analysis for the Swiss cantons
Author(s) -
Crivelli Luca,
Filippini Massimo,
Mosca Ilaria
Publication year - 2006
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/hec.1072
Subject(s) - per capita , public economics , health care , autonomy , economics , demographic economics , business , actuarial science , economic growth , environmental health , political science , medicine , population , law
Abstract Switzerland (7.2 million inhabitants) is a federal state composed of 26 cantons. The autonomy of cantons and a particular health insurance system create strong heterogeneity in terms of regulation and organisation of health care services. In this study we use a single‐equation approach to model the per capita cantonal expenditures on health care services and postulate that per capita health expenditures depend on some economic, demographic and structural factors. The empirical analysis demonstrates that a larger share of old people tends to increase health costs and that physicians paid on a fee‐for‐service basis swell expenditures, thus highlighting a possible phenomenon of supply‐induced demand. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.