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Horizontal inequity in access to health care in four South American cities

Author

Listed:
  • Ana I. Balsa

    (University of Miami)

  • Máximo Rossi

    (Universidad de la República (Uruguay))

  • Patricia Triunfo

    (Universidad de la República (Uruguay))

Abstract

This paper analyzes and compares socioeconomic inequalities in the use of healthcare services by the elderly in four South-American cities: Buenos Aires (Argentina), Santiago (Chile), Montevideo (Uruguay) and San Pablo (Brazil). We use data from SABE, a survey on Health, Well-being and Aging administered in several Latin American cities in 2000. After having accounted for socioeconomic inequalities in healthcare needs, we find socioeconomic inequities favoring the rich in the use of preventive services (mammograms, pap tests, breast examinations, and prostate exams) in all of the studied cities. We also find inequities in the likelihood of having a medical visit in Santiago and Montevideo, and in some measures of quality of access in Santiago, Sao Paulo, and Buenos Aires. Santiago depicts the highest inequities in medical visits and Uruguay the worse indicators in mammograms and pap scans tests. For all cities, inequities in preventive services at least double inequities in other services. We do not find evidence of a trade-off between levels of access and equity in access to healthcare services. The decomposition of healthcare inequalities suggests that inequities within each health system (public or private) are more important than between systems.

Suggested Citation

  • Ana I. Balsa & Máximo Rossi & Patricia Triunfo, 2009. "Horizontal inequity in access to health care in four South American cities," Working Papers 131, ECINEQ, Society for the Study of Economic Inequality.
    • Handle: RePEc:inq:inqwps:ecineq2009-131
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    File URL: http://www.ecineq.org/milano/WP/ECINEQ2009-131.pdf
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    Cited by:

    1. Alfredo Palacios & Julia Gabosi & Caitlin Williams & Carlos Rojas-Roque, 2021. "Social vulnerability, exposure to environmental risk factors and accessibility to healthcare services: Evidence for 2,000+ slums and informal settlements in Argentina," Asociación Argentina de Economía Política: Working Papers 4502, Asociación Argentina de Economía Política.
    2. Damiano, Fiorillo & Fabio, Sabatini, 2011. "Quality and quantity: the role of social interactions in individual health," MPRA Paper 29777, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Cecilia González & Patricia Triunfo, 2018. "Inequidad en el acceso a los servicios de salud en Uruguay," Documentos de Trabajo (working papers) 0718, Department of Economics - dECON.
    4. Shreya Banerjee & Indrani Roy Chowdhury, 2020. "Inequities in curative health-care utilization among the adult population (20–59 years) in India: A comparative analysis of NSS 71 st (2014) and 75 th (2017–18) rounds," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(11), pages 1-23, November.
    5. Sachita Nanda Sa & Mehajabin Firdosh, 2021. "Impact of Health Seeking Behaviour on Morbidity Pattern and Health Service Utilization among Muslim Women: A Case Study of Balasore Municipalty, Odisha," Journal of Studies in Dynamics and Change (JSDC), ISSN: 2348-7038, Voices of Inclusive Change and Expressions- (VOICE) Trust, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, vol. 8(2), pages 25-39, April-Jun.

    More about this item

    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • I1 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health
    • I11 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Analysis of Health Care Markets
    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health

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