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This chapter explores the factors associated with the growth of total health expenditure, in addition to its main components, government health expenditure and out-of-pocket payments. Results suggest that health expenditure in general does not grow faster than gross national product (GNP). No difference is found in health expenditure between tax-based and insurance-based health financing mechanisms. The authors confirm the existence of fungibility, where external aid for health reduces government health spending and out-of-pocket payments from domestic sources. The study also finds that government health expenditure and out-of-pocket payments follow the same paths in time, but are different for countries at different levels of economic development and the same for health expenditure growth. In Latin American countries, the relationship between health expenditure and GNP per capita is positive; there is a quick adjustment in the short run to obtain long-run behavior. |
