IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/socmed/v361y2024ics0277953624008116.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The healthcare support program and healthcare utilization of older adults in ethnic minority areas in Vietnam

Author

Listed:
  • Phuong Huu, Khiem
  • Bui, Thao

Abstract

Over the past few decades, Vietnam has experienced a substantial improvement in health outcomes, providing an example of a low-income country that has achieved a major success in public health despite the lack of resources. However, inequalities in access to healthcare services persist among the poor, ethnic minorities, and other vulnerable groups. To address this issue, the Vietnamese government implemented a healthcare support program in ethnic minority areas in 2013. We examine the effects of this program on healthcare utilization among older individuals aged 55–74. Employing a difference-in-differences approach and data from the Vietnam Household Living Standards Survey from 2008 to 2018, we find that the program has a positive effect on inpatient visits at public health facilities. However, the program has no impact on outpatient visits. Additional analysis reveals that the program increases outpatient visits at commune health stations and inpatient visits at district hospitals. There is also suggestive evidence of a switch from private to public facilities. Our results suggest that providing healthcare resources to disadvantaged areas can increase healthcare utilization of older people, which can, in turn, improve their health outcomes.

Suggested Citation

  • Phuong Huu, Khiem & Bui, Thao, 2024. "The healthcare support program and healthcare utilization of older adults in ethnic minority areas in Vietnam," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 361(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:361:y:2024:i:c:s0277953624008116
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2024.117357
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953624008116
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.socscimed.2024.117357?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
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Bladimir Carrillo & Jose Feres, 2019. "Provider Supply, Utilization, and Infant Health: Evidence from a Physician Distribution Policy," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 11(3), pages 156-196, August.
    2. Lingguo Cheng & Hong Liu & Ye Zhang & Ke Shen & Yi Zeng, 2015. "The Impact of Health Insurance on Health Outcomes and Spending of the Elderly: Evidence from China's New Cooperative Medical Scheme," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 24(6), pages 672-691, June.
    3. Mattos, Enlinson & Mazetto, Debora, 2019. "Assessing the impact of more doctors’ program on healthcare indicators in Brazil," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 123(C), pages 1-1.
    4. Aurélia Lépine & Alexis Le Nestour, 2013. "The Determinants of Health Care Utilisation in Rural Senegal," Journal of African Economies, Centre for the Study of African Economies, vol. 22(1), pages 163-186, January.
    5. Germano Mwabu & Martha Ainsworth & Andrew Nyamete, 1993. "Quality of Medical Care and Choice of Medical Treatment in Kenya: An Empirical Analysis," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 28(4), pages 838-862.
    6. A. Smith, Jeffrey & E. Todd, Petra, 2005. "Does matching overcome LaLonde's critique of nonexperimental estimators?," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 125(1-2), pages 305-353.
    7. World Bank, 2009. "Country Social Analysis : Ethnicity and Development in Vietnam - Main Report," World Bank Publications - Reports 3094, The World Bank Group.
    8. Silvia Mendolia & Nga Nguyen & Oleg Yerokhin, 2019. "The impact of parental illness on children’s schooling and labour force participation: evidence from Vietnam," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 17(2), pages 469-492, June.
    9. Silvia Mendolia & Nga Nguyen & Oleg Yerokhin, 2019. "Correction to: The impact of parental illness on children’s schooling and labour force participation: evidence from Vietnam," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 17(2), pages 493-498, June.
    10. Amy Finkelstein & Sarah Taubman & Bill Wright & Mira Bernstein & Jonathan Gruber & Joseph P. Newhouse & Heidi Allen & Katherine Baicker, 2012. "The Oregon Health Insurance Experiment: Evidence from the First Year," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 127(3), pages 1057-1106.
    11. Michael Anderson & Carlos Dobkin & Tal Gross, 2012. "The Effect of Health Insurance Coverage on the Use of Medical Services," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 4(1), pages 1-27, February.
    12. Fredrik Carlsen & Jostein Grytten, 1998. "More physicians: improved availability or induced demand?," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 7(6), pages 495-508, September.
    13. World Bank, 2009. "Country Social Analysis : Ethnicity and Development in Vietnam - Summary report," World Bank Publications - Reports 3093, The World Bank Group.
    14. Nguyen Thi Hoa & Anselme Derese & Wim Peersman & Jeffrey F Markuns & Sara Willems & Nguyen Minh Tam, 2020. "Primary care quality in Vietnam: Perceptions and opinions of primary care physicians in commune health centers – a mixed-methods study," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(10), pages 1-16, October.
    15. Darkwah, Frank, 2022. "Does free health insurance improve health care use and labour market outcomes of the elderly in Ghana?," The Journal of the Economics of Ageing, Elsevier, vol. 23(C).
    16. Laura Anselmi & Mylène Lagarde & Kara Hanson, 2015. "Health service availability and health seeking behaviour in resource poor settings: evidence from Mozambique," Health Economics Review, Springer, vol. 5(1), pages 1-13, December.
    17. Likwang Chen & Winnie Yip & Ming‐Cheng Chang & Hui‐Sheng Lin & Shyh‐Dye Lee & Ya‐Ling Chiu & Yu‐Hsuan Lin, 2007. "The effects of Taiwan's National Health Insurance on access and health status of the elderly," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 16(3), pages 223-242, March.
    18. 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. Laura Anselmi & Mylène Lagarde & Kara Hanson, 2015. "Health service availability and health seeking behaviour in resource poor settings: evidence from Mozambique," Health Economics Review, Springer, vol. 5(1), pages 1-13, December.
    2. Emily Gustafsson-Wright & Gosia Popławska & Zlata Tanović & Jacques Gaag, 2018. "The impact of subsidized private health insurance and health facility upgrades on healthcare utilization and spending in rural Nigeria," International Journal of Health Economics and Management, Springer, vol. 18(3), pages 221-276, September.
    3. Hudson, Eibhlin & Nolan, Anne, 2015. "Public healthcare eligibility and the utilisation of GP services by older people in Ireland," The Journal of the Economics of Ageing, Elsevier, vol. 6(C), pages 24-43.
    4. Yuanyuan Ma & Anne Nolan, 2017. "Public Healthcare Entitlements and Healthcare Utilisation among the Older Population in Ireland," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 26(11), pages 1412-1428, November.
    5. Liu, Hong & Zhao, Zhong, 2014. "Does health insurance matter? Evidence from China’s urban resident basic medical insurance," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 42(4), pages 1007-1020.
    6. Christian Posso & Jorge Tamayo & Arlen Guarin & Estefania Saravia, 2024. "Luck of the Draw: The Causal Effect of Physicians on Birth Outcomes," Borradores de Economia 1269, Banco de la Republica de Colombia.
    7. Chen, Yi & Shi, Julie & Zhuang, Castiel Chen, 2019. "Income-dependent impacts of health insurance on medical expenditures: Theory and evidence from China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 290-310.
    8. Fang, Guanfu & Feng, Jin, 2021. "Is the 2003 SARS epidemic over? Long-term effects of epidemic exposure on mortality among older adults," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
    9. Lan Thi Thu Phan & Yusuke Jinnai, 2018. "Does health insurance matter in the hospital? New evidence from patient-level medical records in Vietnam," Working Papers EMS_2018_01, Research Institute, International University of Japan.
    10. Saurabh Singhal & Ulrik Beck, 2015. "Ethnic disadvantage in Vietnam: Evidence using panel data," WIDER Working Paper Series 097, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    11. Singh, Nirvikar, 2018. "Financial Inclusion: Concepts, Issues and Policies for India," MPRA Paper 91047, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    12. Mengna Luan & Wenjing Shi & Zhigang Tao & Hongjie Yuan, 2023. "When patients have better insurance coverage in China: Provider incentives, costs, and quality of care," Economics of Transition and Institutional Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 31(4), pages 1073-1106, October.
    13. Zhao, Weimin, 2019. "Does health insurance promote people's consumption? New evidence from China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 65-86.
    14. Kondo, Ayako & Shigeoka, Hitoshi, 2013. "Effects of universal health insurance on health care utilization, and supply-side responses: Evidence from Japan," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 99(C), pages 1-23.
    15. Charlene Marie Kalenkoski & Sabrina Wulff Pabilonia, 2023. "Parental disability and teenagers’ time allocation," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 21(4), pages 1379-1407, December.
    16. Bui, Tuan & Nguyen, Cuong & Pham, Phuong, 2015. "Poverty among ethnic minorities: transition process, inequality and economic growth," MPRA Paper 68924, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    17. Mateus Dias & Luiz Felipe Fontes, 2024. "The Effects of a Large-Scale Mental Health Reform: Evidence from Brazil," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 16(3), pages 257-289, August.
    18. David J G Slusky, 2017. "Significant Placebo Results in Difference-in-Differences Analysis: The Case of the ACA’s Parental Mandate," Eastern Economic Journal, Palgrave Macmillan;Eastern Economic Association, vol. 43(4), pages 580-603, September.
    19. Aparna Soni, 2020. "The effects of public health insurance on health behaviors: Evidence from the fifth year of Medicaid expansion," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 29(12), pages 1586-1605, December.
    20. Le, Chau & Nguyen, Cuong & Phung, Thu & Phung, Tung, 2014. "Poverty Assessment of Ethnic Minorities in Vietnam," MPRA Paper 70090, University Library of Munich, Germany.

    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:eee:socmed:v:361:y:2024:i:c:s0277953624008116. 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: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/315/description#description .

    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.