BACKGROUND The cost of maternity care can be a barrier to access that may increase maternal and neonatal mortality risk. We analyzed spending on maternity care in urban slum communities in Mumbai to better understand the equity of spending and the impact of spending on household poverty. METHODS We used expenditure data for maternal and neonatal care, collected during post-partum interviews. ...

AIM To assess the distribution of out-of-pocket payments for health care in Croatia by income groups. METHODS The study is based on data from 1994 out-of-pocket health expenditure survey carried out through interviews of randomly selected adults in two major cities of Croatia, Zagreb and Split. We analyzed co-payments for public health care services and other payments related to private pract...

BACKGROUND In Tajikistan it is estimated that out of pocket payments constitute two-thirds of all health spending with high proportions of these contributions through informal payments. As a consequence, access to basic care is a major concern particularly among the most needy and vulnerable groups. This article evaluates accessibility of prescription medicines and patient expenditures for prim...

This paper reviews the existing empirical micro-level models of demand for out-patient physician services where the size of patient payment is included either directly as an independent variable (when a flat-rate co-payment fee) or indirectly as a level of deductibles and/or co-insurance defined by the insurance coverage. The paper also discusses the relevance of these models for the assessment...

This paper considers a search theoretic model of money in the tradition of Lagos and Wright (2005) where sellers can choose to produce in the formal or informal market. There is continuum of types of producers that differ in their managerial ability, as in Lucas span of control model. Producers in the formal market can make deposits and receive intererst payments, which makes credit possible fo...

BACKGROUND Poverty is an extreme consequence of out of pocket payments in countries with health systems that do not provide financial risk protection through mandatory health insurance coverage for people in both the formal and informal sectors. The study assessed the determinants of impoverishment due to out of pocket payments in Nigeria. METHODS Secondary data from the Harmonized Nigeria Li...