Financial Catastrophism Inherent with Out-of-Pocket Payments in Long Term Care for Households: A Latent Impoverishment.

Background: Out-of-pocket (OOP) payments are configured as an important source of financing long-term care (LTC). However, very few studies have analyzed the risk of impoverishment and catastrophic effects of OOP in LTC. To estimate the contribution of users to the financing of LTC and to analyze the economic consequences for households in terms of impoverishment and catastrophism after financial crisis in Spain. METHODS: The database that was used is the 2008 Spanish Disability and Dependency Survey, projected to 2012. We analyze the OOP payments effect associated to the impoverishment of households comparing volume and financial situation before and after OOP payment. At the same time, the extent to which OOP payment had led to catastrophism was analyzed using different thresholds. RESULTS: The results show that contribution of dependent people to the financing of the services they receive exceeds by 50% the costs of these services. This expenditure entails an increase in the number of households that live below the poverty. In terms of catastrophism, more than 80% of households dedicate more than 10% of their income to dependency OOP payments. In annual terms, the catastrophe gap generated by devoting more than 10% of the household income to dependent care OOP payment reached €3955, 1 million (0.38% of GDP). CONCLUSION: This article informs about consequences of OOP in LCT and supplements previous research that focus on health. Our results should serve to develop strategic for protection against the financial risk resulting from facing the costs of a situation of dependence.

The impact of Dependency Act benefits on employment / La creación de empleo derivada de las prestaciones de la Ley de Dependencia

Objective: To assess the amount of employment generated from the effective development of the Dependency Act in 2012, by evaluating the number of jobs depending on whether in-kind services or cash benefits were applied. Methods: The level and total costs of dependency were obtained by using the Survey on Disability, Personal Autonomy and Dependency Situations of 2008. The consumption of dependent households was collected from the Household Budget Survey of 2012 carried out by the Spanish Statistics Institute. The impact on employment was estimated using an extended Input-Output model based on Symmetric Input-Output Tables and labour data from the Spanish National Accounts Base. Results: The total estimated costs of dependency in 2012 were 4,545 million Euros for in-kind services and 2,662 for cash benefits. One hundred and ninety-five thousand, six hundred and sixty-eight jobs were generated in 2012 from dependency costs, and132,997 were linked to in-kind services and 62,671 to cash benefits. Every million Euros allocated for dependency by the Government returned 53.33 jobs linked to in-kind services and 46.21 to cash benefits. Furthermore, 341,505 jobs would have been created if dependency benefits had been exclusively offered via in-kind services. Conclusions: Dependency benefits were equally distributed between in-kind services and cash benefits in 2012. Given that two out of three job positions generated from dependency benefits are linked to in-kind services, while the remaining third is generated by cash benefits, we conclude that around 146 thousand more jobs would have been generated if benefits had been offered as in-kind services instead of overusing cash benefits

Objetivo: Estimar la creación de empleo generada por la implantación de la Ley de Dependencia en 2012, evaluando el número de puestos de trabajo vinculados a servicios y a prestaciones económicas. Métodos: Los grados y los costes totales de la dependencia se han obtenido de la Encuesta sobre Discapacidades, Autonomía Personal y Situaciones de Dependencia de 2008. El consumo de los hogares dependientes proviene de la Encuesta de Presupuestos Familiares realizada por el Instituto Nacional de Estadística en 2012. La creación de empleo se ha estimado con un modelo ampliado input-output basado en las tablas simétricas input-output y en datos de empleo de la Contabilidad Nacional de España. Resultados: Los costes totales de dependencia estimados en 2012 fueron de 4545 millones de euros en servicios y 2662 millones de euros en prestaciones económicas. Se generaron 195.668 empleos vinculados a prestaciones de dependencia en 2012, 132.997 asociados a servicios y 62.671 a prestaciones económicas. Cada millón de euros asignados a prestaciones de dependencia por la Administración generó 53,33 empleos vinculados a servicios y 46,21 a prestaciones económicas. Además, se habrían creado 341.505 empleos si las prestaciones de dependencia hubieran sido asignadas únicamente como servicios. Conclusiones: Los costes de dependencia se distribuyeron por igual entre servicios y prestaciones económicas en 2012. Dado que dos de cada tres empleos generados por las prestaciones de dependencia están vinculados a servicios, mientras que el tercio restante a prestaciones económicas, se habrían generado 146.000 empleos más si todas las prestaciones hubieran sido asignadas como servicios en lugar de la masiva utilización de prestaciones económicas

Costes de los servicios sanitarios asociados a los hábitos de consumo de frutas y verduras / Costs of health services associated with fruit and vegetable consumption habits

Introducción: los buenos hábitos de alimentación, como el consumo de frutas y verduras, permiten tener una mejor salud y, consecuentemente, minorar el consumo de recursos sanitarios. Es importante establecer una asociación entre consumo de frutas y verduras y el uso de los servicios sanitarios en la población española para considerar la necesidad de intervenir. Métodos: se empleó la Encuesta Europea de Salud en España del año 2014 y, mediante la utilización de modelos Hurdle, se valoró si existían diferencias en el acceso y la frecuentación al médico de familia, especialista y urgencias, dependiendo de los hábitos de consumo de frutas y verduras. Posteriormente, mediante la técnica propensity score matching se generaron dos grupos con los que poder comparar las diferencias en la frecuentación de los servicios sanitarios dependiendo del consumo de frutas y/o verduras y otras covariables de ajuste. Finalmente, se estima el coste de dichas diferencias por grupos de consumo. Resultados: se revela la existencia de diferencias en el acceso al servicio de urgencias, tanto por los sujetos que no consumen nunca fruta como por parte de los sujetos que no consumen nunca verdura. En el primer caso hay un incremento de 420 visitas al año por cada 1.000 personas con un coste atribuible de 75.000 Euros, mientras que en el segundo caso se observa un incremento de 780 visitas al año por cada 1.000 personas, con un coste equivalente de 139.000 Euros. Conclusiones: determinados hábitos de alimentación de la población española como no consumir nunca fruta o verdura producen importantes gastos evitables en el sistema sanitario. Es de gran interés implementar políticas de prevención para minorar dichos gastos y emplear los recursos de forma adecuada

Introduction: healthy eating habits, such as the consumption of fruits and vegetables, allow better health and, consequently, reduce the consumption of health resources. It is important to establish a relationship between fruit and vegetable consumption and the use of health services in the Spanish population to consider the need to intervene. Methods: the European Health Survey in Spain for 2014 was used, and the possible existence of differences in access and visit frequency to the family physician, specialist physician and emergency services depending on fruits and vegetables consumption habits was assessed through Hurdle models. Subsequently, two groups were generated through the propensity score matching technique in order to compare the differences in the frequenting of services depending on the consumption of fruits and/or vegetables and other adjustment covariates. Finally, the cost generated by such differences was estimated according to consumption groups. Results: there are differences in access to the emergency services, both in subjects who never consume fruit and in subjects who never consume vegetables. In the first case, there is an increase of 420 visits per year for every 1,000 persons with attributable costs of Euros75,000, whereas in the second case, an increase of 780 visits per year for every 1,000 persons, with a cost of Euros139,000, is observed. Conclusions: certain eating habits of the Spanish population, such as never consuming fruits or vegetables, produce important avoidable expenses in the health system. It would be of interest to implement prevention policies to reduce such costs and use resources appropriately

El copago de dependencia en España a partir de la reforma estructural de 2012 / The co-payment of the dependence from the structural reform of 2012 in Spain

Objetivo: Estimar el coste de la dependencia y su financiación. En particular, determinar el copago de los usuarios tras la modificación introducida por la Resolución de 13 de julio de 2012, según el grado de dependencia y la comunidad autónoma de residencia. Métodos: Se estimó el grado de dependencia a partir de la Encuesta sobre Discapacidades, Autonomía Personal y situaciones de Dependencia de 2008. El coste de la dependencia por grado y comunidad autónoma se calculó a partir de la información del Sistema para la Autonomía y Atención a la Dependencia. El copago se calculó a partir de la renta de las personas dependientes. La valoración monetaria de los servicios y la aportación de los usuarios se hizo de acuerdo a la normativa de 2012 y con indicadores de referencia comunes para todo el territorio nacional. Resultados: El coste total estimado en 2012 es de 10.598,8 millones de euros (1,03% del producto interior bruto), y son Andalucía, la Comunidad Valenciana y Cataluña las que mayores cuantías presentan. El porcentaje del copago medio nacional por usuario es del 53,54%, con diferencias por grados y comunidades autónomas, aunque en general los usuarios financian más de la mitad del coste de las prestaciones en todas ellas. Conclusiones: El cambio legislativo ha supuesto que el copago sea superior al tercio inicial establecido en la Ley y a los copagos anteriores a 2012, que eran en torno al 20%. Si a ello se añaden las diferencias por comunidades autónomas, sería conveniente reflexionar acerca de la desigual aplicación de la Ley (AU)

Objective: The objective of this piece of work is to establish the cost of dependency and the cost of financing it. Specifically, we will determine the cost of co-payment for individual users following the modification introduced by the 13th of July 2012 Resolution as well as its allocation by the autonomous regions. Methods: The degree and level of dependency was established using the Survey on Disability, Personal Autonomy and Dependency Situations, 2008. The cost of dependency according to degree and level and autonomous regions was established with information from the System for Personal Autonomy and Care of Dependent Persons. The co-payment was established according to applicants’ purchasing power. The rating of these services, and the contribution of individual users were done in agreement with 2012 legislation and with common indicators and benchmarks for the whole national territory. Results: The total estimated cost is 10,598.8 million euros (1.03% of GDP), and Andalusia, the Valencian Community and Catalonia are those regions with the greatest costs. The average national co-payment per individual user is 53.54%, with differences due to degrees and levels of disability and autonomous regions, although, generally speaking, all of the users fund more than half of the care they receive. Conclusions: This change in legislation has meant that co-payment is higher than the 33% established by this law and that co-payments prior to 2012 were about 20%. If we add to this the differences in autonomous regions, it would be useful to reflect on the uneven application of the law (AU)

Impacto económico del cuidado informal tras la Ley de promoción de la autonomía personal y atención a las personas en situación de dependencia / Economic impact of informal care after the establishment of the law of dependence in Spain

Fundamento: La Ley de Dependencia reconoce formalmente el papel del cuidador informal, incorporando una prestación económica para el mismo. El objetivo del trabajo es analizar el efecto de la instauración de la ley sobre la existencia del cuidado informal y evaluar el impacto económico de dicho cuidado en la ley dependiendo del financiador. Métodos: Se realizó un estudio transversal a partir de una muestra representativa de la población dependiente baremada de la provincia de Cuenca en febrero de 2009, obteniéndose información de personas con grados II y III de dependencia. Se cuantificó el impacto económico de la existencia del cuidado informal para Cuenca (muestra), Castilla-La Mancha y España mediante una simulación de prestaciones basada en el supuesto de no existencia de cuidado informal. Resultados: El 81,74% de las prestaciones de dependencia correspondió a la prestación diseñada para el cuidado informal. El coste total de las prestaciones de dependencia se redujo entre un 36,51% y un 80,53% debido a la existencia de cuidado informal, desagregado en un ahorro del 122,97-251,04% para el usuario y del 23,30-54,47% para el erario público. El copago medio estimado para el usuario fue de un 13,25% para la muestra, ascendiendo al 21,65-25,77% bajo el supuesto de extinción del cuidado informal. Conclusiones: El cuidado informal implica un importante ahorro de recursos familiares y públicos: los primeros al asumir un menor copago del teórico, trasladando dicha carga a las Comunidades Autónomas; los segundos, por el menor coste que suponen las prestaciones económicas respecto a las prestaciones de servicios(AU)

Background: The Law of Dependence keeps the informal caregiver’s role, incorporating a specific economic benefit. The aims of this work are 1) to analyze the effect of the Law on informal care existence, and 2) to value the economic impact in the Law, disaggregated by financier. Methods: A cross-section study has been conducted from a representative sample of the dependent population in Cuenca (Spain) in February, 2009. We have obtained information for people with level II and III of dependence. A care service delivery simulation is used to quantify the economic impact of informal care to Cuenca (sample), Castilla- La Mancha and Spain. Results: Informal care delivery is assigned in 81,74% of dependency benefits. Total costs of care service delivery is reduced between 36,51% and 80,53% if informal care exits, disaggregated into savings of 122,97-251,04% for user and 23,30-54,47% for public administration. Average estimated copayment for user is 13,25% for real sample, and it rises to 25,77% when it is supposed informal care extinguishes. Conclusions: Informal care is widespread in the Law, and it implies an important household and public resources saving: for household due to the assumption a smaller copayment that theoretical established, which is assumed by Autonomous Communities; in turn, for public administration, because of the fact economic deliveries require fewer resources(AU)

Factores sociodemográficos y de salud asociados a la institucionalización de personas dependientes / Socio-demographic and health factors associated with the institutionalization of dependent people

Fundamento: El análisis del efecto que diferentes variables tienen en la institucionalización de las personas dependientes es un tema escasamente estudiado en España. El objetivo del trabajo es analizar qué factores sociodemográficos y del estado de salud pueden influir en la probabilidad de que la persona dependiente viva en una residencia. Métodos: Se realizó un estudio transversal de la población dependiente de la provincia de Cuenca, a partir de una muestra representativa de la población baremada como dependiente en febrero de 2009, obteniéndose información de personas con grados II y III de dependencia. Se estimó un modelo de regresión logística binaria para identificar los factores asociados a la institucionalización de las personas dependientes. Resultados: Los individuos con edades comprendidas entre 65 y 74 años tienen prácticamente 6 veces más probabilidad de estar institucionalizados, frente a no estar institucionalizados, que los de edades inferiores a 65 años; probabilidad que aumenta hasta 16 veces para individuos de edad igual o superior a los 95 años. Vivir en zona urbana multiplica por 3 la probabilidad de institucionalización frente a residir en zona rural. Las personas que siguen tratamientos farmacológicos, tratamientos psicoterapéuticos, o tratamientos rehabilitadores, tienen entre 2 y 4 veces más probabilidad de estar institucionalizados que las que no los siguen. Conclusiones: La edad, el estado civil casado, el lugar de residencia, las variables de salud enfermedades del aparato circulatorio y musculoesqueléticas, y los cuatro tipos de tratamiento a seguir se convierten en las principales variables asociadas a la institucionalización de personas dependientes(AU)

Background: The analysis of the effect that different variables have in the probability that dependent people are institutionalized is a topic scantily studied in Spain. The aim of the work is to analyze as certain socio-demographic and health factors can influence probability of dependent person living in a residence. Methods: A cross-section study has been conducted from a representative sample of the dependent population in Cuenca (Spain) in February, 2009. We have obtained information for people with level II and III of dependence. A binary logit regression model has been estimated to identify those factors related to the institutionalization of dependent people. Results: People with ages between 65-74 years old are six times more likely to be institutionalized than younger people (<65 years old); this probability increases sixteen times for those individuals with ages equal or higher than 95 years. The probability of institutionalization of people who live in an urban area is three times the probability of people who live in a rural area. People who need pharmacological, psychotherapy or rehabilitation treatments have between two and four times more probability of being institutionalized that those who do not need those. Conclusions: Age, marital status, place of residence, cardiovascular and musculoskeletal diseases and four times of medical treatment are the principal variables associated with the institutionalization of dependent people(AU)

[Socio-demographic and health factors associated with the institutionalization of dependent people]. / Factores sociodemográficos y de salud asociados a la institucionalización de personas dependientes.

BACKGROUND: The analysis of the effect that different variables have in the probability that dependent people are institutionalized is a topic scantily studied in Spain. The aim of the work is to analyze as certain socio-demographic and health factors can influence probability of dependent person living in a residence. METHODS: A cross-section study has been conducted from a representative sample of the dependent population in Cuenca (Spain) in February, 2009. We have obtained information for people with level II and III of dependence. A binary logit regression model has been estimated to identify those factors related to the institutionalization of dependent people. RESULTS: People with ages between 65-74 years old are six times more likely to be institutionalized than younger people (< 65 years old); this probability increases sixteen times for those individuals with ages equal or higher than 95 years. The probability of institutionalization of people who live in an urban area is three times the probability of people who live in a rural area. People who need pharmacological, psychotherapy or rehabilitation treatments have between two and four times more probability of being institutionalized that those who do not need those. CONCLUSIONS: Age, marital status, place of residence, cardiovascular and musculoskeletal diseases and four times of medical treatment are the principal variables associated with the institutionalization of dependent people.