Discrimination in a Universal Health System: Explaining Socioeconomic Waiting Time Gaps

Meliyanni Johar (), Glenn Jones (), Michael P Keane (), Elizabeth Savage () and Olena Stavrunova ()

No 165, Working Paper Series from Finance Discipline Group, UTS Business School, University of Technology, Sydney

Abstract: One of the core goals of a universal health care system is to eliminate discrimination on the basis of socioeconomic status. We test for discrimination using patient waiting times for non-emergency treatment in public hospitals. Waiting time should reflect patients clinical need with priority given to more urgent cases. Using data from Australia, we find evidence of prioritisation of the richest patients, especially the least urgent, who can be delayed with lower health risks, thereby allowing more scope for discrimination. The rich also benefit from variation in supply endowments. These results challenge the universal system's core principle of equitable treatment.

Keywords: Public hospital; waiting time; discrimination; decomposition analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I11 J7 H51 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-hea
Date: 2011-10-21
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Related works:
Journal Article: Discrimination in a universal health system: Explaining socioeconomic waiting time gaps (2013)
Working Paper: Discrimination in a universal health system: Explaining socioeconomic waiting time gaps (2012)
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