Open AccessAnalysis of Private Healthcare Expenditures in Kazakhstan and Proposals for their Reduction
Author(s) -
Bibigul Omirbayeva,
Galina Zagidullina
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
menedžer zdravoohraneniâ rk
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2225-9929
DOI - 10.32921/2225-9929-2020-36-50-60
Subject(s) - health care , business , population , obstacle , payment , private sector , public economics , economic growth , finance , economics , medicine , environmental health , political science , law
Private expenditures are the part of the health financing system in all countries. However, a catastrophically high level of private expenditures can lead to financial instability of the entire healthcare system, and the national economy as a whole. A high level of private expenditures on health services suggests that the population prefers to pay for medical services at their own expense. This means that the allocated state funds are not being used efficiently enough; there is still a lack of access to medical services. In addition, the unregulated high level of prices for medical services is often an obstacle to access to necessary medical care, and also contributes to the growth of pocket payments, causing problems of financial protection of the population. Current analytical report also includes an analysis of the structure of pocket expenditures of the population for health services in the Republic of Kazakhstan in order to develop recommendations for their reduction. In the Message to the people of Kazakhstan, “Kazakhstan-2050 Strategy: A New Political Course for a Successful State,” the strategic goal was set as becoming one of the 30 most developed countries in the world. To achieve this goal, the existing development gap between the OECD countries and Kazakhstan in all sectors and spheres of activity, including healthcare, must be bridged. In this regard, a comparative analysis of pocket spending on health in Kazakhstan and the OECD countries was carried out. The analysis was based on data from the tables of national health accounts of Kazakhstan for 2010-2018. Differences in per capita health expenditures were compared. In addition, the structure of pocket expenses in dynamics was analyzed, and also based on consumer price indices, the growth in consumption of volumes of medical services at the expense of households was compared. As a result of the study, possible options for reducing pocket expenses were proposed in the context of Kazakhstan's transition from a budget model to an insurance one.