The redistributive effects of copayment in outpatient prescriptions: evidence from Lombardy
Autor: | Paolo Berta, Stefano Verzillo, Rosella Levaggi, Gianmaria Martini |
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Přispěvatelé: | Berta, P, Levaggi, R, Martini, G, Verzillo, S |
Jazyk: | angličtina |
Rok vydání: | 2017 |
Předmět: |
medicine.medical_specialty
National Health Programs media_common.quotation_subject Datasets as Topic Copayment Redistributive effects Settore SECS-P/06 - Economia Applicata Lombardy Superticket Ambulatory care 03 medical and health sciences Nursing 0502 economics and business Health care medicine Revenue Humans 050207 economics Cost Sharing Superticket Health policy Redistributive effect media_common Analysis of Variance Public economics business.industry 030503 health policy & services Public health Health Policy lcsh:Public aspects of medicine 05 social sciences Ambulatory care Prescription Fees lcsh:RA1-1270 Redistribution (cultural anthropology) Payment Europe Italy Income Cost sharing Health Expenditures 0305 other medical science business Delivery of Health Care Research Article |
Zdroj: | BMC Health Services Research BMC Health Services Research, Vol 17, Iss 1, Pp 1-12 (2017) |
Popis: | Background In Italy, copayment has changed its nature and it can no longer be simply considered a system to curb inappropriate expenditure. It has become an important form of revenue for public health care provision, but it might also become a source of distortions in income and health benefits redistribution. Methods We use a rich administrative dataset gathering information on patients demand (whose records have been matched to income declared for tax purposes) to study the effects of an additional copayment (the so called “superticket” introduced by the Italian government in 2012) in Lombardy, the biggest Italian Region whose socio-economic dimension is comparable to that of many European countries (e.g., the Netherlands, Switzerland, etc.). Results Our analysis shows that at the aggregate level the non-uniform superticket schedule adopted in Lombardy is slightly pro-poor, but this result coexists with evidences pointing towards possible cases of restriction to access caused by the additional copayment. Conclusions The introduction of the superticket and the ensuing increase in the out-of pocket payment for health care raises questions about the distribution of the burden among patients, and the sustainability of the extra revenue through time. This issue needs to be further investigated by combining health status data with the information in this dataset. |
Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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