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Equity in Irish health care financing: measurement issues

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 April 2010

Samantha Smith
Samantha Smith*
Affiliation:
Economic and Social Research Institute, Dublin, Ireland
*
Correspondence to: Samantha Smith, Economic and Social Research Institute, Whitaker Square, Sir John Rogerson's Quay, Dublin 2, Ireland. Email: [email protected]
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Abstract

This paper employs widely used analytic techniques for measuring equity in health care financing to update Irish results from previous analysis based on data from the late 1980s. Kakwani indices are calculated using household survey data from 1987/88 to 2004/05. Results indicate a marginally progressive financing system overall. However, interpretation of the results for the private sources of health financing is complicated. This problem is not unique to Ireland but it is argued that it may be relatively more important in the context of a complex health financing system, illustrated in this paper by the Irish system. Alternative options for improving the analysis of equity in health care financing are discussed.

Type
Articles
Information
Health Economics, Policy and Law , Volume 5 , Issue 2 , April 2010 , pp. 149 - 169
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2009

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