1. Effect of having private health insurance on the use of health care services: the case of Spain.
- Author
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Cantarero-Prieto, David, Pascual-Sáez, Marta, and Gonzalez-Prieto, Noelia
- Subjects
HEALTH systems agencies ,HEALTH insurance ,HEALTH facilities ,PUBLIC health ,MEDICAL care ,MEDICAL economics ,INSURANCE statistics ,HEALTH insurance statistics ,BUDGET ,HEALTH services administration ,INCOME ,HEALTH policy ,SURVEYS ,LIFESTYLES ,INSTITUTIONAL cooperation - Abstract
Background: Several stakeholders have undertaken initiatives to propose solutions towards a more sustainable health system and Spain, as an example of a European country affected by austerity measures, is looking for ways to cut healthcare budgets.Methods: The aim of this paper is to study the effect of private health insurance on health care utilization using the latest micro-data from the European Community Household Panel (ECHP), the Spanish National Health Survey (SNHS) and the European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC). We use matching techniques based on propensity score methods: single match, four matches, bias-adjustment and allowing for heteroskedasticity.Results: The results demonstrate that people with a private health insurance, use the public health system less than individuals without double health insurance coverage.Conclusions: Our conclusions are useful when policy makers design public-private partnership policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]- Published
- 2017
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