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The importance of micro-data for revaealing income motivated behaviour among GPs

Author

Listed:
  • Iversen, Tor

    (Institute of Health Management and Health Economics)

  • Lurås, Hilde

    (Institute of Health Management and Health Economics)

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to demonstrate that micro data is fundamental for the study of income motivated behaviour among general practitioners (GPs). We argue that a GP who experiences a shortage of patients in a mixed capitation and fee for service payment system, is likely to have a more service intensive practice style than his unconstrained colleagues. If he cannot have his optimal number of patients, a second best is to increase the number of services per patient if the income per time unit of providing services is greater than the marginal valuation of leisure. An empirical test requires micro data of GPs' rationing status. Data from the Norwegian capitation experiment provide us with this opportunity. We find that the effect of patient shortage (strong rationing) on a GP's income from fees per patient is positive and statistically significant. Furthermore, we find that only the municipality with the lowest GP density has a negative and statistically significant effect. If only GP density data would have been available, we might erroneously have concluded that service provision among GPs is not income motivated. The reason is that aggregate data miss the within municipality variation in the actual number of patients relative to GPs' preferred numbers. We conclude that macro data of GP density in an area are not likely to be useful in this context because the effect of better access is often not distinguishable from the effect of physician initiated services.

Suggested Citation

  • Iversen, Tor & Lurås, Hilde, 2009. "The importance of micro-data for revaealing income motivated behaviour among GPs," HERO Online Working Paper Series 1999:3, University of Oslo, Health Economics Research Programme.
  • Handle: RePEc:hhs:oslohe:1999_003
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    File URL: http://www.hero.uio.no/publicat/1999/HERO1999_3.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Anthony Scott & Alan Shiell, 1997. "Analysing the effect of competition on General Practitioners' behaviour using a multilevel modelling framework," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 6(6), pages 577-588, November.
    2. Tor Iversen & Hilde Lurås, 2000. "The effect of capitation on GPs' referral decisions," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 9(3), pages 199-210, April.
    3. Kathryn M. Langwell, 1982. "Factors Affecting the Incomes of Men and Women Physicians: Further Explorations," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 17(2), pages 261-275.
    4. Dranove, David & Wehner, Paul, 1994. "Physician-induced demand for childbirths," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 13(1), pages 61-73, March.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Godager, Geir, 2009. "Four Empirical Essays on the Market for General Practitioners' Services," HERO Online Working Paper Series 2009:7, University of Oslo, Health Economics Research Programme.
    2. Lurås, Hilde, 2009. "Choosing a GP - Experiences from the implementation of a list patient system in Norway," HERO Online Working Paper Series 2004:13, University of Oslo, Health Economics Research Programme.
    3. Kann, Inger Cathrine & Biørn, Erik & Lurås, Hilde, 2010. "Competition in general practice: Prescriptions to the elderly in a list patient system," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 29(5), pages 751-764, September.
    4. Lurås, Hilde, 2009. "General Practice: Four Empirical Essays on GP Behaviour and Individuals’ Preferences for GPs," HERO Online Working Paper Series 2004:1, University of Oslo, Health Economics Research Programme.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    General practitioners; income motivated behaviour; patient shortage; service intensive; Norwegian capitation experiment;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health

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