Does discrimination drive gender differences in health expenditure on adults: Evidence from Cancer patients in rural India

Akansha Batra, Indrani Gupta and Abhiroop Mukhopadhyay
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Akansha Batra: Indian Statistical Institute, Delhi

Discussion Papers from Indian Statistical Institute, Delhi

Abstract: This paper investigates if there are gender differences in health expenditures and treatment seeking behavior among adults and focuses on the role of gender discrimination in explaining these differences. Using a longitudinal survey on rural patients suffering from cancer in a public tertiary health centre in Odisha, a poor state of India, the study finds that expenditures on female adults are significantly lesser than those on males. Controlling for other covariates, in particular the type of cancer, 73 percent of the difference can be attributed to gender discrimination. Moreover, the biggest reason for the difference in expenditure is attributed to gender discrimination in treatment seeking and medical expenditures before coming to the tertiary centre. These results are corroborated using a nationally representative survey on health for the whole country.

Pages: 30 pages
Date: 2014-01
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

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