IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/ijhplm/v37y2022i6p3172-3191.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Distance and health facility choice: Evidence from a health micro insurance program in Punjab, Pakistan

Author

Listed:
  • Dareen Latif
  • Hamna Ahmed

Abstract

Health micro insurance offers a promising mechanism to protect the poor against risk and vulnerability arising from catastrophic healthcare expenditures. In light of this, we study the relationship between physical distance to hospitals and the choice of healthcare services in the context of a health micro insurance program in Punjab, Pakistan. We address three main research questions; first, how does physical distance affect choice of health facility? Second, is the burden of physical distance greater for women? Third, can the diffusion of information in social networks be a potential mechanism for reducing the burden of distance? We employ a Probit model with administrative data on hospitalisation claims made between 2014 and 2017. Our findings show that distance impedes individuals from making panel (cashless) claims and thus increases the likelihood of out‐of‐pocket expenditures at nearby non‐panel hospitals. This adverse effect is more pronounced for women as compared to men. Dissemination of information in social networks increases the usage of panel facilities, especially by women. Hence, this can be an effective mechanism in reducing the role that distance plays in the choice of health facility.

Suggested Citation

  • Dareen Latif & Hamna Ahmed, 2022. "Distance and health facility choice: Evidence from a health micro insurance program in Punjab, Pakistan," International Journal of Health Planning and Management, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(6), pages 3172-3191, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:ijhplm:v:37:y:2022:i:6:p:3172-3191
    DOI: 10.1002/hpm.3547
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/hpm.3547
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1002/hpm.3547?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Burgess, James F. & Avery DeFiore, Donna, 1994. "The effect of distance to VA facilities on the choice and level of utilization of VA outpatient services," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 39(1), pages 95-104, July.
    2. Pascaline Dupas & Radhika Jain, 2024. "Women Left Behind: Gender Disparities in Utilization of Government Health Insurance in India," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 114(10), pages 3345-3385, October.
    3. Thaddeus, Sereen & Maine, Deborah, 1994. "Too far to walk: Maternal mortality in context," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 38(8), pages 1091-1110, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Lama Bou-Karroum & Domenico G Iaia & Fadi El-Jardali & Clara Abou Samra & Sabine Salameh & Zeina Sleem & Reem Masri & Aya Harb & Nour Hemadi & Nadeen Hilal & Layal Hneiny & Sahar Nassour & Mehr Gul Sh, 2024. "Financing for equity for women’s, children’s and adolescents’ health in low- and middle-income countries: A scoping review," PLOS Global Public Health, Public Library of Science, vol. 4(9), pages 1-49, September.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Gayen, Kaberi & Raeside, Robert, 2007. "Social networks, normative influence and health delivery in rural Bangladesh," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 65(5), pages 900-914, September.
    2. Paula L. Griffiths & James J. Brown & Peter W. F. Smith, 2004. "A comparison of univariate and multivariate multilevel models for repeated measures of use of antenatal care in Uttar Pradesh," Journal of the Royal Statistical Society Series A, Royal Statistical Society, vol. 167(4), pages 597-611, November.
    3. Changwoo Shon & Tae Ho Lee & Grace Ossak Ndombi & Eun Woo Nam, 2018. "A Cost-Benefit Analysis of the Official Development Assistance Project on Maternal and Child Health in Kwango, DR Congo," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-11, July.
    4. Okeke, Theodora A. & Okeibunor, Joseph C., 2010. "Rural-urban differences in health-seeking for the treatment of childhood malaria in south-east Nigeria," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 95(1), pages 62-68, April.
    5. Sadatoshi Matsuoka & Sumiko Koga & Emiko Suzui & Yoshiko Tsukada & Kazutomo Ohashi & Taiwo Johnson, 2017. "Impact assessment of a maternal health project in a megacity, Nigeria: toward a future with more demand for maternal health services," International Journal of Health Planning and Management, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(4), pages 465-480, October.
    6. Mark G Shrime & Serufusa Sekidde & Allison Linden & Jessica L Cohen & Milton C Weinstein & Joshua A Salomon, 2016. "Sustainable Development in Surgery: The Health, Poverty, and Equity Impacts of Charitable Surgery in Uganda," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(12), pages 1-14, December.
    7. Noghanibehambari, Hamid & Fletcher, Jason, 2023. "Long-Term Health Benefits of Occupational Licensing: Evidence from Midwifery Laws," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    8. repec:plo:pone00:0108130 is not listed on IDEAS
    9. Sanzida Akhter, 2008. "Millennium Development Goal On Maternal Health In Bangladesh: Progress And Prospects," IBT Journal of Business Studies (JBS), Ilma University, Faculty of Management Science, vol. 4(1), pages 4-7.
    10. Okeke, Edward N. & Chari, A.V., 2018. "Health care at birth and infant mortality: Evidence from nighttime deliveries in Nigeria," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 196(C), pages 86-95.
    11. Danielle Deboutte & Tim O'Dempsey & Gillian Mann & Brian Faragher, 2015. "User cost of Caesarean section: case study of Bunia, Democratic Republic of Congo," International Journal of Health Planning and Management, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(2), pages 88-97, April.
    12. Lídia Farré, 2013. "The Role of Men in the Economic and Social Development of Women: Implications for Gender Equality," The World Bank Research Observer, World Bank, vol. 28(1), pages 22-51, February.
    13. Sayedur Rahman & Aziz Ahmed Choudhury & Rasheda Khanam & Syed Mamun Ibne Moin & Salahuddin Ahmed & Nazma Begum & Nurun Naher Shoma & Md Abdul Quaiyum & Abdullah H Baqui & for the Projahnmo Study Group, 2017. "Effect of a package of integrated demand- and supply-side interventions on facility delivery rates in rural Bangladesh: Implications for large-scale programs," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(10), pages 1-13, October.
    14. Patience A Afulani & Cheryl Moyer, 2016. "Explaining Disparities in Use of Skilled Birth Attendants in Developing Countries: A Conceptual Framework," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(4), pages 1-16, April.
    15. Joseph H. Collins & Helen Allott & Wingston Ng’ambi & Ines Li Lin & Mosè Giordano & Matthew M. Graham & Eva Janoušková & Fannie Kachale & Kondwani Kawaza & Tara D. Mangal & Joseph Mfutso-Bengo & Emman, 2025. "An individual-based modelling study estimating the impact of maternity service delivery on health in Malawi," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-21, December.
    16. William Joe & B Subha Sri & Jyotsna Sharma & Y Manasa Shanta & Suresh Sharma, 2015. "Strategies for Safe Motherhood in Tamil Nadu: A Note," IEG Working Papers 357, Institute of Economic Growth.
    17. Mukesh Ranjan & Laxmi Kant Dwivedi & Shivalingappa Halli, 2022. "Infant Death Clustering in the Quarter of a Century in India: A Decomposition Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(21), pages 1-21, November.
    18. repec:plo:pone00:0155144 is not listed on IDEAS
    19. Anthopolos, Rebecca & Becker, Charles M., 2010. "Global Infant Mortality: Correcting for Undercounting," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 38(4), pages 467-481, April.
    20. Kaiser, Jeanette L. & Fong, Rachel M. & Hamer, Davidson H. & Biemba, Godfrey & Ngoma, Thandiwe & Tusing, Brittany & Scott, Nancy A., 2019. "How a woman's interpersonal relationships can delay care-seeking and access during the maternity period in rural Zambia: An intersection of the Social Ecological Model with the Three Delays Framework," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 220(C), pages 312-321.
    21. Nicholas Apreh Siaw & Samuel Kwofie, 2016. "Assessment of the Effects of the Free Maternal Health Policy on Maternal Health: A Case Study of New Juaben Municipality, Koforidua, Ghana," International Journal of Business and Social Research, LAR Center Press, vol. 6(7), pages 52-62, July.
    22. Lillian Whiting-Collins & Florina Serbanescu & Ann-Beth Moller & Susanna Binzen & Jean-Pierre Monet & Jenny A Cresswell & Michel Brun & on behalf of the World Health Organization’s MDSR Reporting and , 2024. "Maternal death surveillance and response system reports from 32 low-middle income countries, 2011–2020: What can we learn from the reports?," PLOS Global Public Health, Public Library of Science, vol. 4(3), pages 1-17, March.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:ijhplm:v:37:y:2022:i:6:p:3172-3191. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=0749-6753 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.