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Unmet health care need and income‐Related horizontal equity in use of health care during the COVID‐19 pandemic

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  • Apostolos Davillas
  • Andrew M. Jones

Abstract

Using monthly data from the Understanding Society (UKHLS) COVID‐19 Survey we analyse the evolution of unmet need and assess how the UK health care system performed against the principle of horizontal equity in health care use during the first wave of COVID‐19 wave. Unmet need was most evident for hospital care, and less pronounced for primary health services (non‐emergency medical helplines, GP consultations, community pharmacist advice, over the counter medications and prescriptions). Despite this, there is no evidence that horizontal equity, with respect to income, was violated for NHS hospital outpatient and inpatient care during the first wave of the pandemic. There is evidence of pro‐rich inequities in use of GP consultations, prescriptions and medical helplines at the peak of the first wave, but these were eliminated as the pandemic progressed. There are persistent pro‐rich inequities for services that may relate to individuals' ability to pay (over the counter medications and advice from community pharmacists).

Suggested Citation

  • Apostolos Davillas & Andrew M. Jones, 2021. "Unmet health care need and income‐Related horizontal equity in use of health care during the COVID‐19 pandemic," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(7), pages 1711-1716, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:hlthec:v:30:y:2021:i:7:p:1711-1716
    DOI: 10.1002/hec.4282
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Erreygers, Guido, 2009. "Correcting the Concentration Index: A reply to Wagstaff," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 28(2), pages 521-524, March.
    2. Apostolos Davillas & Andrew M Jones, 2021. "The first wave of the COVID‐19 pandemic and its impact on socioeconomic inequality in psychological distress in the UK," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(7), pages 1668-1683, July.
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    7. Erreygers, Guido & Van Ourti, Tom, 2011. "Measuring socioeconomic inequality in health, health care and health financing by means of rank-dependent indices: A recipe for good practice," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 30(4), pages 685-694, July.
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    Cited by:

    1. Marta González-Touya & Alexandrina Stoyanova & Rosa M. Urbanos-Garrido, 2021. "COVID-19 and Unmet Healthcare Needs of Older People: Did Inequity Arise in Europe?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(17), pages 1-15, August.
    2. Louis Arnault & Florence Jusot & Thomas Renaud, 2022. "Economic vulnerability and unmet healthcare needs among the population aged 50 + years during the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe," European Journal of Ageing, Springer, vol. 19(4), pages 811-825, December.
    3. Erika Obikane & Daisuke Nishi & Akihiko Ozaki & Tomohiro Shinozaki & Norito Kawakami & Takahiro Tabuchi, 2023. "Association between Poverty and Refraining from Seeking Medical Care during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Japan: A Prospective Cohort Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(3), pages 1-14, February.
    4. Paul Fisher & Omar Hussein, 2023. "Understanding Society: the income data," Fiscal Studies, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 44(4), pages 377-397, December.

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