IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/wly/hlthec/v31y2022i9p1898-1925.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Consumer choice and public‐private providers: The role of perceived prices

Author

Listed:
  • Kai Shen Lim
  • Wei Aun Yap
  • Winnie Yip

Abstract

Governments often encourage health service providers to improve quality of care and reduce prices through competition. The efficacy of competition hinges on the assumption that consumers demand high quality care at low prices for any given health condition. In this paper, we examine this assumption by investigating the role of perceived price and quality on consumer choice for four different health conditions across public and private providers. We use a nationally representative survey in Malaysia to elicit respondents' perception on prices and quality, and their preferred choice of provider. We estimate a mixed logit model and show that consumers value different dimensions of quality depending on the health condition. Furthermore, increasing perceived prices for private providers reduces demand for minor, more frequent health conditions such as flu fever or cough, but increases demand for more complex, severe conditions such as coronary artery bypass graft. These findings provide empirical support for price regulation which differentiates the severity of underlying health conditions.

Suggested Citation

  • Kai Shen Lim & Wei Aun Yap & Winnie Yip, 2022. "Consumer choice and public‐private providers: The role of perceived prices," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 31(9), pages 1898-1925, September.
  • Handle: RePEc:wly:hlthec:v:31:y:2022:i:9:p:1898-1925
    DOI: 10.1002/hec.4554
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/hec.4554
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1002/hec.4554?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Mariko, Mamadou, 2003. "Quality of care and the demand for health services in Bamako, Mali: the specific roles of structural, process, and outcome components," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 56(6), pages 1183-1196, March.
    2. Akin, John S. & Griffin, Charles C. & Guilkey, David K. & Popkin, Barry M., 1986. "The demand for adult outpatient services in the Bicol region of the Philippines," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 22(3), pages 321-328, January.
    3. Hausman, Jerry, 2015. "Specification tests in econometrics," Applied Econometrics, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA), vol. 38(2), pages 112-134.
    4. Varkevisser, Marco & van der Geest, Stéphanie A. & Schut, Frederik T., 2012. "Do patients choose hospitals with high quality ratings? Empirical evidence from the market for angioplasty in the Netherlands," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 31(2), pages 371-378.
    5. Pilny, Adam & Mennicken, Roman, 2014. "Does Hospital Reputation Influence the Choice of Hospital?," Ruhr Economic Papers 516, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
    6. Daniel McFadden & Kenneth Train, 2000. "Mixed MNL models for discrete response," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 15(5), pages 447-470.
    7. Steven T. Berry, 1994. "Estimating Discrete-Choice Models of Product Differentiation," RAND Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 25(2), pages 242-262, Summer.
    8. Akin, John S. & Guilkey, David K. & Hazel?Denton, E., 1995. "Quality of services and demand for health care in Nigeria: A multinomial probit estimation," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 40(11), pages 1527-1537, June.
    9. Train,Kenneth E., 2009. "Discrete Choice Methods with Simulation," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521766555.
    10. Zachary Wagner & Somalee Banerjee & Manoj Mohanan & Neeraj Sood, 2023. "Does the market reward quality? Evidence from India," International Journal of Health Economics and Management, Springer, vol. 23(3), pages 467-505, September.
    11. Rita Santos & Hugh Gravelle & Carol Propper, 2017. "Does Quality Affect Patients’ Choice of Doctor? Evidence from England," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 127(600), pages 445-494, March.
    12. Martin Gaynor & Carol Propper & Stephan Seiler, 2016. "Free to Choose? Reform, Choice, and Consideration Sets in the English National Health Service," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 106(11), pages 3521-3557, November.
    13. Avdic, Daniel & Moscelli, Giuseppe & Pilny, Adam & Sriubaite, Ieva, 2019. "Subjective and objective quality and choice of hospital: Evidence from maternal care services in Germany," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    14. Michael Chernew & Zack Cooper & Eugene Larsen-Hallock & Fiona Scott Morton, 2018. "Are Health Care Services Shoppable? Evidence from the Consumption of Lower-Limb MRI Scans," NBER Working Papers 24869, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    15. Pollak, Robert A, 1977. "Price Dependent Preferences," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 67(2), pages 64-75, March.
    16. Schwartz, J Brad & Akin, John S & Popkin, Barry M, 1988. "Price and Income Elasticities of Demand for Modern Health Care: The Case of Infant Delivery in the Philippines," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 2(1), pages 49-76, January.
    17. Gertler, Paul & Locay, Luis & Sanderson, Warren, 1987. "Are user fees regressive? : The welfare implications of health care financing proposals in Peru," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 36(1-2), pages 67-88.
    18. F. Moscone & E. Tosetti & G. Vittadini, 2012. "Social interaction in patients’ hospital choice: evidence from Italy," Journal of the Royal Statistical Society Series A, Royal Statistical Society, vol. 175(2), pages 453-472, April.
    19. Andaleeb, Syed Saad, 2001. "Service quality perceptions and patient satisfaction: a study of hospitals in a developing country," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 52(9), pages 1359-1370, May.
    20. Bijan J. Borah, 2006. "A mixed logit model of health care provider choice: analysis of NSS data for rural India," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 15(9), pages 915-932, September.
    21. Gutacker, Nils & Siciliani, Luigi & Moscelli, Giuseppe & Gravelle, Hugh, 2016. "Choice of hospital: Which type of quality matters?," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 230-246.
    22. Kara Hanson & Winnie C. Yip & William Hsiao, 2004. "The impact of quality on the demand for outpatient services in Cyprus," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 13(12), pages 1167-1180, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Christopher J. Cronin & David K. Guilkey & Ilene S. Speizer, 2019. "Measurement error in discrete health facility choice models: An example from urban Senegal," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 34(7), pages 1102-1120, November.
    2. Lippi Bruni, Matteo & Ugolini, Cristina & Verzulli, Rossella, 2021. "Should I wait or should I go? Travelling versus waiting for better healthcare," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).
    3. M. Lippi Bruni & C. Ugolini & R. Verzulli, 2018. "Disentangling the effect of waiting times on hospital choice: Evidence from a panel data analysis," Working Papers wp1118, Dipartimento Scienze Economiche, Universita' di Bologna.
    4. David Kuklinski & Justus Vogel & Alexander Geissler, 2021. "The impact of quality on hospital choice. Which information affects patients’ behavior for colorectal resection or knee replacement?," Health Care Management Science, Springer, vol. 24(1), pages 185-202, March.
    5. Daniel Avdic & Tugba Bueyuekdurmus & Giuseppe Moscelli & Adam Pilny & Ieva Sriubaite, 2018. "Subjective and objective quality reporting and choice of hospital: Evidence from maternal care services in Germany," CINCH Working Paper Series 1803, Universitaet Duisburg-Essen, Competent in Competition and Health.
    6. Martine Audibert & Yong He & Jacky Mathonnat, 2013. "Two-Period Comparison of Healthcare Demand with Income Growth and Population Aging in Rural China: Implications for Adjustment of the Healthcare Supply and Development," Working Papers halshs-00846088, HAL.
    7. Avdic, Daniel & Moscelli, Giuseppe & Pilny, Adam & Sriubaite, Ieva, 2019. "Subjective and objective quality and choice of hospital: Evidence from maternal care services in Germany," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    8. Dahlgren, Cecilia & Dackehag, Margareta & Wändell, Per & Rehnberg, Clas, 2021. "Simply the best? The impact of quality on choice of primary healthcare provider in Sweden," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 125(11), pages 1448-1454.
    9. Visa Pitkänen & Ismo Linnosmaa, 2021. "Choice, quality and patients’ experience: evidence from a Finnish physiotherapy service," International Journal of Health Economics and Management, Springer, vol. 21(2), pages 229-245, June.
    10. Hendrik Schmitz & Magdalena A. Stroka‐Wetsch, 2020. "Determinants of nursing home choice: Does reported quality matter?," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 29(7), pages 766-777, July.
    11. Empel, Giovanni & Gravelle, Hugh & Santos, Rita, 2023. "Does quality affect choice of family physician? Evidence from patients changing general practice without changing address," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 126(C).
    12. Magnus Lindelow, 2003. "Understanding spatial variation in the utilization of health services: does quality matter?," Economics Series Working Papers WPS/2004-12, University of Oxford, Department of Economics.
    13. Martini, Gianmaria & Levaggi, Rosella & Spinelli, Daniele, 2022. "Is there a bias in patient choices for hospital care? Evidence from three Italian regional health systems," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 126(7), pages 668-679.
    14. Haghani, Milad & Bliemer, Michiel C.J. & Hensher, David A., 2021. "The landscape of econometric discrete choice modelling research," Journal of choice modelling, Elsevier, vol. 40(C).
    15. Magnus Lindelow, 2004. "Understanding spatial variation in the utilization of health," Development and Comp Systems 0409058, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    16. Pokhrel, Subhash & De Allegri, Manuela & Gbangou, Adijma & Sauerborn, Rainer, 2010. "Illness reporting and demand for medical care in rural Burkina Faso," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 70(11), pages 1693-1700, June.
    17. Trani, Jean-Francois & Bakhshi, Parul & Noor, Ayan A. & Lopez, Dominique & Mashkoor, Ashraf, 2010. "Poverty, vulnerability, and provision of healthcare in Afghanistan," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 70(11), pages 1745-1755, June.
    18. Martine Audibert & Yong He & Jacky Mathonnat, 2013. "Two-Period Comparison of Healthcare Demand with Income Growth and Population Aging in Rural China: Implications for Adjustment of the Healthcare Supply and Development," CERDI Working papers halshs-00846088, HAL.
    19. Martine AUDIBERT & Jacky MATHONNAT & Yong HE, 2010. "Income Growth, Price Variation and Health Care Demand: A Mixed Logit Model Applied to Tow-period Comparison in Rural China," Working Papers 201035, CERDI.
    20. Pereira, Pedro & Ribeiro, Tiago, 2011. "The impact on broadband access to the Internet of the dual ownership of telephone and cable networks," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 29(2), pages 283-293, March.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:wly:hlthec:v:31:y:2022:i:9:p:1898-1925. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/jhome/5749 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.