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Physician Density in a Two-Tiered Health Care System

Author

Listed:
  • Gächter, Martin

    (Department of Economics and Statistics, University of Innsbruck)

  • Schwazer, Peter

    (Department of Economics and Statistics, University of Innsbruck)

  • Theurl, Engelbert

    (Department of Economics and Statistics, University of Innsbruck)

  • Winner, Hannes

    (University of Salzburg)

Abstract

We investigate the density of private physicians in a two-tiered health care system, i.e., one with co-existing public and private health care providers. In particular, we analyze how the densities of private and public suppliers of outpatient health care (general practitioners and specialists) are related to each other. Using a panel of 121 Austrian districts between 2002 and 2008, we find that the density of private specialists is positively associated with the density of private general practitioners, but negatively related to the density of public general practitioners. We also observe a negative relationship between the densities of private and public general practitioners and the ones of private and public specialists, indicating competitive forces between the private and the public sector of the outpatient health care provision in Austria.

Suggested Citation

  • Gächter, Martin & Schwazer, Peter & Theurl, Engelbert & Winner, Hannes, 2011. "Physician Density in a Two-Tiered Health Care System," Working Papers in Economics 2011-5, University of Salzburg.
    • Handle: RePEc:ris:sbgwpe:2011_005
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    Cited by:

    1. Luiz Flavio Andrade & Thomas Rapp & Christine Sevilla-Dedieu, 2016. "Exploring the determinants of endocrinologist visits by patients with diabetes," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 17(9), pages 1173-1184, December.
    2. Pedro Ramos & Hélio Alves & Paulo Guimarães & Maria A. Ferreira, 2017. "Junior doctors’ medical specialty and practice location choice: simulating policies to overcome regional inequalities," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 18(8), pages 1013-1030, November.
    3. Martin Gaechter & Peter Schwazer & Engelbert Theurl, 2013. "Entry into the Physicians’ Market: Empirical Evidence from the Outpatient Sector in Austria," DANUBE: Law and Economics Review, European Association Comenius - EACO, issue 4, pages 245-260, December.
    4. Mougeot, Michel & Naegelen, Florence, 2018. "Achieving a fair geographical distribution of health-care resources," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 384-392.
    5. Michael Kuhn & Robert Nuscheler, 2020. "Saving the public from the private? Incentives and outcomes in dual practice," Journal of Public Economic Theory, Association for Public Economic Theory, vol. 22(4), pages 1120-1150, August.
    6. Kuhn, Michael & Ochsen, Carsten, 2019. "Population change and the regional distribution of physicians," The Journal of the Economics of Ageing, Elsevier, vol. 14(C).
    7. Gächter, Martin & Schwazer, Peter & Theurl, Engelbert & Winner, Hannes, 2012. "Regional density of private dentists: Empirical evidence from Austria," Working Papers in Economics 2012-8, University of Salzburg.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Competition in health care markets; physician location; panel econometrics;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C23 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Models with Panel Data; Spatio-temporal Models
    • I11 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Analysis of Health Care Markets
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
    • L23 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Organization of Production

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