Research on fairness in the financial contributions of households to the health system / 中华医院管理杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To estimate fairness in the financial contributions of suburban households of Shanghai to the health system and the situation throughout the country. Methods A household survey was conducted to obtain data on health expenditure and government health input, which was then analyzed by means of the index for and methodology of fairness in the financial contributions of households in the performance assessment of the health system as introduced by the WHO. Results The coefficient of fairness in the financial contributions of households to the health system was estimated to be 0.735 and the rate of cooperative medical care coverage was positively related to the fairness. Conclusion The fairness level of the financial contributions of suburban households of Shanghai to the health system tallies with the level estimated by the WHO for China while the national level is lower. The calculations of government subsidy for household health, as recommended by the WHO in estimating fairness in the financial contributions to the health system, do not conform to the actual situation in China.