Some Economic Aspect of The Demand for Health Services

健康服務需求之經濟面

Alan L. Sorkin

《The Kaohsiung Journal of Medical Sciences》 5卷11期 (1989/11) Pp. 610-620

https://doi.org/10.6452/KJMS.198911.0610

摘要

本文第一部分，討論一段經濟學者用以分析對貨品和服務的需求之基本概念，然後再應用這些概念建立健康和醫療照顧服務需求的模型。
接下來，將論及如何估算健康和醫療照顧需求的實証性問題。這裡我將分別討論健康狀況對健康服務需求的影響；以及供給者對利用方面的影響。
實証研究指出健康服務的需求與服務價格和個人收入無關，而所耗費的時間，〈等候和交通時間〉相關雖低，但很重要。其它研究的結果也會討論到。
最後將討論健康保險的重要，及它在整體健康需求模型上的角色。健康保險紀會降低醫療照顧的淨價格，且會刺激產生其他的服務需求。

並列摘要

The first section of the paper discusses some of the basic concepts that economists utilize when considering the demand for goods and services. These concepts are then applied in the development of alternative models of the demand for health and medical care services.
Following the theoretical discussion, attention is focused on the empirical problems associated with estimating the demand for health and medical care. Such issues as the effect of health status on the demand for health services and the impact of provider influence on utilization are considered.
A review of empirical research indicates that health service demand is inelastic with respect to price and income. The elasticity of the time price of health care (the price of waiting time and travel time) is low in an absolute sense but clearly important. Other research findings are also discussed.
The demand for health insurance and its role is an overall health demand model is also considered. Among other things, health insurance both reduces the net price of medical care and stimulates additional demand for services.

並列關鍵字

economic demand health services