BACKGROUND Most low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) rely significantly on private health expenditure in the form of out-of-pocket payments (OOP) and voluntary health insurance (VHI). This paper assesses VHI expenditure trends in LMIC and explores possible explanations. This illuminates challenges deriving from changes in VHI expenditure as countries aim to progress equitably towards univers...

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES Income inequality is associated with poor health. Inequities exist in service utilization and financing for health care. Health care costs push high number of households into poverty in India. We undertook this study to ascertain inequities in health status, service utilization and out-of-pocket (OOP) health expenditures in two States in north India namely, Haryana and P...

BACKGROUND Insufficient social security combined with family structure changes has resulted in a poverty of the elderly. The objective of this study was to examine an association of living arrangements of the elderly with chronic disease prevalence and prescription drug use. METHODS 2008 Korea Health Panel Survey (KHPS) data were used in this study. Information on living arrangements, socio-d...

Purpose The number of novel oral anticancer agents is increasing, but financial barriers may limit access. We examined associations between out-of-pocket (OOP) costs and reduced and/or delayed treatment initiation. Methods This retrospective claims-based study used 2014 to 2015 data from a large, proprietary, integrated database and included Medicare and commercial insurance enrollees with a ne...

BACKGROUND The evidence assessing differences in medical costs between men and women with diabetes living in the United States is sparse; however, evidence suggests women generally have higher healthcare expenditures compared to men. Since little is known about these differences, the aim of this study was to assess differences in out-of-pocket (OOP) and total healthcare expenditures among adult...

The relationship between socioeconomic factors and antibiotic resistance (ABR) prevalence remains a knowledge gap in China. In this study, our aim was to examine the association ABR across 30 provinces mainland We used two measures of level ABR: proportion methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), third-generation cephalosporin-resistant Escherichia coli (3GCREC), Klebsiella pneumonia...

Background: Out of pocket (OOP) spending on health contributes significantly to levels poverty in developing countries such as Pakistan. In poor there is reduced or limited access services, the issue affordability and availability which all lead impaired status increased morbidity mortality rates countries. Catastrophic expenditure not always synonymous with high care costs; even small expenses...

INTRODUCTION This study aimed to investigate the direct cost of outpatient care for patients with stroke, as well as the relationship between the aforementioned cost and the sociodemographic and stroke characteristics of the patients. METHODS This was a cross-sectional study involving patients with first-ever stroke who were attending outpatient stroke rehabilitation, and their family members...

BACKGROUND There is a global concern regarding how households could be protected from relatively large healthcare payments which are a major limitation to accessing healthcare. Such payments also endanger the welfare of households with the potential of moving households into extreme impoverishment. This paper examines the impoverishing effects of out-of-pocket (OOP) healthcare payments in Ghana...