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The Relationship Between Economic Conditions, Access to Health Care, and Health Outcomes

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  • Arild Aakvik

Abstract

This paper analyses the impact of access to health care and economic conditions on health outcomes. Fixed-effects models are estimated using municipality data from 1996 to 2002. Health is proxied by total mortality rates divided into three different causes of death. Access to health care is proxied by number of physicians, and other medical personnel. We find an insignificant effect of per capital number of GPs on mortality. However, the number of vacant positions (unmet demand) in municipalities increases mortality rates significantly. Unemployment, which has been an important determinant of mortality in many studies, is found to have no effect on health outcomes in our data. However, other economic factors, such as the level of spending on health and social policy, has a significant effect on reduced mortality rates. In a policy simulation, we find that mortality rates can be reduced on average by 0.8 per cent by eliminating all (around 500) vacant GP positions

Suggested Citation

  • Arild Aakvik, 2004. "The Relationship Between Economic Conditions, Access to Health Care, and Health Outcomes," Econometric Society 2004 Australasian Meetings 34, Econometric Society.
    • Handle: RePEc:ecm:ausm04:34
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    GPs; mortality rates; municipalities; fixed-effect models; mortality; morbidity;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • J63 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Turnover; Vacancies; Layoffs

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