Determinants of Catastrophic Health Expenditure for Surgical Care: Panel Regression Model

Abstract

The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between risk of catastrophic health expenditure for surgical care and the share of public health expenditures in total health expenditures, which is an important indicator of health system structure, and country's income level. The relationship between risk of catastrophic health expenditure and public health expenditures and country's income level was examined with panel regression analysis for 97 countries for the period of 2003-2015 via Stata 13.0 computer program. We found that both the share of public health expenditure in total health expenditures and the income have a statistically significant negative impact on the risk of catastrophic health expenditure for surgical care services. Catastrophic health expenditure endangers the routine expenditure and quality of life of households. In addition, it causes a decline in the economic and welfare indicators of countries and it negatively affects the quality of life of the households. That's why, studies on the determinants of catastrophic health expenditures are both economically and sociopolitically important.