Regional Health Care Decentralization in Unitary States: Equal Spending, Equal Satisfaction?

Joan Costa-Font and Gilberto Turati ()

No 37, Working papers from Department of Economics, Social Studies, Applied Mathematics and Statistics (Dipartimento di Scienze Economico-Sociali e Matematico-Statistiche), University of Torino

Abstract: Does regional decentralization threaten the commitment to regional equality in government outcomes? We attempt to shed light on this question by drawing on unique evidence from the largest European unitary states to have engaged in countrywide health system decentralization: Italy and Spain. We estimate, decompose, and run counterfactual analysis of regional inequality in government output (health expenditure per capita) and outcome (health system satisfaction) during expansion of health care decentralization in both countries. We find no evidence of increase in regional inequalities in outcomes and outputs in the examined period. Inequalities are accounted for by differences in health system design.

Keywords: Health Care Decentralization; Regional Inequality; Health Care; Oaxaca Decomposition (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: H7 I18 I3 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 31 pages
Date: 2016-06
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-eur, nep-geo, nep-ger and nep-hea
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.bemservizi.unito.it/repec/tur/wpapnw/m37.pdf First version, 2016 (application/pdf)

Related works:
Journal Article: Regional healthcare decentralization in unitary states: equal spending, equal satisfaction? (2018)
Working Paper: Regional health care decentralization in unitary states: equal spending, equal satisfaction? (2018)
Working Paper: Regional Health Care Decentralization in Unitary States: Equal Spending, Equal Satisfaction? (2016)
Working Paper: Regional Health Care Decentralization in Unitary States: Equal Spending, Equal Satisfaction? (2016)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:tur:wpapnw:037

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