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Social health insurance in the Philippines: do the poor really benefit?

Author

Listed:
  • Salaheddine El Omari

    (Qatar University)

  • Mahmoud Karasneh

    (Qatar University)

Abstract

Developing countries have spent a tremendous amount of time and money on social health insurance programs to give the low-income population free access to health care services. Standard economic theory predicts that people use care services more frequently and regularly when they are free. In this paper, we show that providing free access to health services might not be enough to enhance the utilization of health care by indigents.

Suggested Citation

  • Salaheddine El Omari & Mahmoud Karasneh, 2021. "Social health insurance in the Philippines: do the poor really benefit?," Journal of Economics and Finance, Springer;Academy of Economics and Finance, vol. 45(1), pages 171-187, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jecfin:v:45:y:2021:i:1:d:10.1007_s12197-020-09525-5
    DOI: 10.1007/s12197-020-09525-5
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    1. Espinosa, Oscar & Rodríguez, Jhonathan & Ávila, Diego & Rodríguez-Lesmes, Paul & Basto, Sergio & Romano, Giancarlo & Mesa, Lorena & Enríquez, Hernán, 2023. "The impact of updating health benefits plans on health technologies usage and expenditures: the case of Colombia," Documentos de Trabajo 20821, Universidad del Rosario.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Social health insurance; Healthcare access; Health care utilization; Impact evaluation; Indigents; Philippines;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I13 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Insurance, Public and Private
    • I15 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Economic Development
    • O11 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Macroeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • O53 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Asia including Middle East

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