Healthcare price changes and expenditures in South Africa: Some implications for economic policy

Healthcare systems around the world are facing great challenges. This has included rising health care prices and its impact on healthcare expenditures and the concomitant effects on access to healthcare, particularly in emerging and developing countries. This study focuses on health care price developments and health expenditures in South Africa. The study identifies four major results. Firstly, South Africa’s healthcare expenditures compare quite favourably with countries at similar levels of development. However, the efficiency of these expenditures lags those in comparable countries. Secondly, it was found that South Africa’s healthcare price rises have exceeded those in advanced countries even though healthcare demand and expenditures in these countries are much higher than is the case in South Africa. Thirdly, healthcare rises exceeds those in other sectors of the South African economy. Finally, healthcare price changes adversely impact healthcare expenditures in South Africa. These results indicate that price considerations are critical to improving healthcare access in South Africa. The paper also highlights some non-price determinants of healthcare access that warrant attention by policymakers in South Africa.