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The convergence of health care financing structures: empirical evidence from OECD-countries

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  • Andrea Leiter
  • Engelbert Theurl

Abstract

In this paper we concentrate on the question whether the financing structure of the health care systems converges. In a world of increasing economic integration convergence in health care financing (HCF) and, hence, decreasing differences in HCF across countries enhance individuals' (labour) mobility and support harmonization processes. As an indicator for convergence we take the public financing ratio in % of total HCF and in % of GDP. The major finding is that HCF in the OECD countries converged in the time period 1970 - 2005. This conclusion also holds when looking at smaller sub groups of countries and shorter time periods. However, we find evidence that countries do not move towards a common mean and that the rate of convergence is decreasing over time.
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  • Andrea Leiter & Engelbert Theurl, 2012. "The convergence of health care financing structures: empirical evidence from OECD-countries," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 13(1), pages 7-18, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:eujhec:v:13:y:2012:i:1:p:7-18
    DOI: 10.1007/s10198-010-0265-z
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    Cited by:

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    2. Carla Blazquez-Fernandez & David Cantarero & Patricio Perez, 2014. "Disentangling the heterogeneous income elasticity and dynamics of health expenditure," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 46(16), pages 1839-1854, June.
    3. Lau, Marco Chi Keung & Fung, Ka Wai Terence, 2013. "Convergence in Health Care Expenditure of 14 EU Countries: New Evidence from Non-linear Panel Unit Root Test," MPRA Paper 52871, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. José Villaverde & Adolfo Maza & María Hierro, 2014. "Health care expenditure disparities in the European Union and underlying factors: a distribution dynamics approach," International Journal of Health Economics and Management, Springer, vol. 14(3), pages 251-268, September.
    5. Wen-Yi Chen, 2013. "Does healthcare financing converge? Evidence from eight OECD countries," International Journal of Health Economics and Management, Springer, vol. 13(3), pages 279-300, December.
    6. Tambor, Marzena & Pavlova, Milena & Golinowska, Stanisława & Sowada, Christoph & Groot, Wim, 2013. "The formal–informal patient payment mix in European countries. Governance, economics, culture or all of these?," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 113(3), pages 284-295.
    7. Abdalla Sirag & Norashidah Mohamed Nor & Nik Mustapha Raja Abdullah, 2017. "Health Financing: Does Governance Quality Matter?," Iranian Economic Review (IER), Faculty of Economics,University of Tehran.Tehran,Iran, vol. 21(3), pages 693-723, Summer.
    8. Sónia Morgado, 2014. "Does health promote economic growth? Portuguese case study: from dictatorship to full democracy," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 15(6), pages 591-598, July.
    9. Owen Smith & Son Nam Nguyen, 2013. "Getting Better : Improving Health System Outcomes in Europe and Central Asia," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 13832.
    10. Chi Lau & Ka Fung & Lee Pugalis, 2014. "Is health care expenditure across Europe converging? Findings from the application of a nonlinear panel unit root test," Eurasian Business Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 4(2), pages 137-156, December.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Convergence; Health care system; Health care financing; I11; I18; H55;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I11 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Analysis of Health Care Markets
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
    • H55 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Social Security and Public Pensions

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