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Dealing with the cost of illness: The experience of four villages in Lao PDR

Author

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  • Walaiporn Patcharanarumol
  • Anne Mills

    (Department of Public Health and Policy, LSHTM London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK)

  • Viroj Tangcharoensathien

    (International Health Policy Program (IHPP-Thailand), Ministry of Public Health, Nonthaburi Province, Thailand)

Abstract

This paper analyses household coping strategies for illness in four Lao villages. The villagers dealt with health expenditure themselves, using coping mechanisms which drew mainly on social networks within the community. They strongly believed in the principle of paying user fees and did not consider exemption from fees an option. A total of 12 households (6 per cent of households) faced catastrophic expenditure arising from healthcare payments. The national policy on exemptions did not protect the poor and the study demonstrates that there is an urgent need for the government to improve the design and implementation of exemptions or reform the policy on subsidising health care. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Suggested Citation

  • Walaiporn Patcharanarumol & Anne Mills & Viroj Tangcharoensathien, 2009. "Dealing with the cost of illness: The experience of four villages in Lao PDR," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 21(2), pages 212-230.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:jintdv:v:21:y:2009:i:2:p:212-230
    DOI: 10.1002/jid.1549
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Sauerborn, R. & Adams, A. & Hien, M., 1996. "Household strategies to cope with the economic costs of illness," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 43(3), pages 291-301, August.
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    3. Lucy Gilson & Steven Russell & Kent Buse, 1995. "The political economy of user fees with targeting: Developing equitable health financing policy," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 7(3), pages 369-401, May.
    4. Carrin, Guy & Ron, Aviva & Hui, Yang & Hong, Wang & Tuohong, Zhang & Licheng, Zhang & Shuo, Zhang & Yide, Ye & Jiaying, Chen & Qicheng, Jiang & Zhaoyang, Zhang & Jun, Yu & Xuesheng, Li, 1999. "The reform of the rural cooperative medical system in the People's Republic of China: interim experience in 14 pilot counties," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 48(7), pages 961-972, April.
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    Cited by:

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