Mitigating the Impact of the Global Economic Crisis on Household Health Spending

The ongoing financial and economic crisis has hit hard the lives of citizens in Eastern Europe and Central Asian (ECA) countries. Economic growth has started to dip, unemployment is rising and government revenues are expected to fall. The crisis is...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author:	Docteur, Elizabeth
Format:	Brief
Language:	English
Published:	World Bank, Washington, DC 2012
Subjects:	ACCESS TO CARE ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE ACCESS TO SERVICES CHILD HEALTH COMMUNICABLE DISEASES COST SHARING COST-SHARING REQUIREMENTS DECISION MAKING DRUGS FAMILIES FINANCIAL BARRIERS FINANCIAL CATASTROPHE GROWTH IN HEALTH SPENDING HEALTH CARE HEALTH CARE DELIVERY HEALTH CARE FACILITIES HEALTH CARE FINANCE HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS HEALTH CARE SERVICES HEALTH EXPENDITURE HEALTH EXPENDITURES HEALTH FINANCING HEALTH INSURANCE HEALTH ORGANIZATION HEALTH PROFESSIONALS HEALTH SECTOR HEALTH SERVICE HEALTH SERVICE USE HEALTH SERVICES HEALTH SYSTEMS HEALTH-CARE HEALTH-CARE SYSTEMS HOMELESS PEOPLE HOSPITALS HOUSEHOLD EXPENDITURE HOUSEHOLD INCOME INCOME INCOME COUNTRIES INCOME GROUPS INFORMAL PAYMENTS INFORMAL SECTOR INFORMAL SECTOR WORKERS INFORMATION CAMPAIGNS INFORMATION SYSTEM INPATIENT CARE INSURANCE MEDICAL TECHNOLOGIES MEDICINES NUTRITION OUTPATIENT CARE PATIENTS PAYMENTS FOR HEALTH SERVICES PAYMENTS FOR INSURANCE POCKET PAYMENTS POCKET PAYMENTS FOR HEALTH CARE PREGNANCY PREVENTIVE HEALTH CARE PRIMARY CARE PRIMARY HEALTH CARE PRIVATE HEALTH INSURANCE PRIVATE INSURANCE PRIVATE SECTOR PRIVATE SPENDING PUBLIC EXPENDITURE PUBLIC EXPENDITURE ON HEALTH PUBLIC HEALTH PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES PUBLIC HEALTH SPENDING PUBLIC SECTOR PUBLIC SPENDING REIMBURSEMENT RATES SPECIALIST TREATMENTS TUBERCULOSIS UNEMPLOYMENT WORKERS
Online Access:	http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2009/08/11137938/mitigating-impact-global-economic-crisis-household-health-spending http://hdl.handle.net/10986/10231

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Summary:	The ongoing financial and economic crisis has hit hard the lives of citizens in Eastern Europe and Central Asian (ECA) countries. Economic growth has started to dip, unemployment is rising and government revenues are expected to fall. The crisis is having a direct impact on the ability of households to pay for health care, a situation that will likely be exacerbated as real government spending on health care declines in many countries due to reduced revenues from the general government budget and payroll-funded health insurance. Patients may have to pay higher prices for health care, make do with reduced access to necessary health services and medicines, and face other health-related financial hardships as well. This brief draws on the experience of countries (outside ECA) in coping with public financing shortfalls, to provide suggestions for mitigating the impact on ECA households of reduced public health spending. First, however, it is important to examine private health spending patterns in the ECA region.

Mitigating the Impact of the Global Economic Crisis on Household Health Spending

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