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Moral Hazard and the Impact of Private Health Insurance on the Utilisation of Health Care in Malaysia

Jurnal Ekonomi Malaysia

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Title Moral Hazard and the Impact of Private Health Insurance on the Utilisation of Health Care in Malaysia
 
Creator Kefeli @ Zulkefli, Zurina
Jones, Glenn
 
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Description ABSTRACTIn Malaysia, private health insurance coverage is usually limited to inpatient treatment or hospitalisation. With private health insurance, there is a possibility that individuals will use health care services more frequently or spend more on health care (known as moral hazard effects) because they know they are protected. This study estimates the importance of factors affecting the demand for private health insurance and how it affects health care utilisation. This paper also provides an empirical test for the existence of moral hazard effects in health care utilisation. The analysis uses the second and third National Health and Morbidity Surveys (NHMS), which were conducted in 1996 and 2006. The analysis applies a bivariate probit model to estimate the demand for private insurance and its effect on the utilisation of health care. Utilisation of health care is defined as being admitted to either a public or private hospital. The results showthat taking up private health insurance is lower among disadvantaged individuals, such as those with lower income, a lower level of education, those living in less developed regions and the unemployed. The findings also show that health conditions have a very strong effect on the hospitalisation decision. Furthermore, the results demonstrate that evidence of moral hazard existed in the 1996 but not in the 2006 data. From the results, policy makers can target an appropriate population for providing health subsidies if the National Health Insurance Scheme is implemented.Keywords: Private health insurance; health care financing; moral hazard; health care utilisationABSTRAKDi Malaysia, perlindungan insurans kesihatan swasta adalah terhad kepada rawatan pesakit dalaman atau kemasukan ke wad. Dengan insurans kesihatan swasta, terdapat kemungkinan seseorang individu akan menggunakan perkhidmatan kesihatan dengan lebih kerap atau memperuntukkan perbelanjaan yang lebih besar ke atas kesihatan (dikenali sebagai kesan bahaya moral) kerana mereka dilindungi. Kajian ini menganggarkan faktor-faktor penting mempengaruhi permintaan ke atas insurans kesihatan swasta dan bagaimana ia mempengaruhi penggunaan kesihatan. Kertas kerja ini juga mengkaji kewujudan kesan bahaya moral dalam penggunaan kesihatan. Analisis menggunakan data KajianKesihatan dan Morbiditi Kebangsaan 1996 dan 2006. Kaedah penganggaran menggunakan model bivariate probit. Penggunaan kesihatan didefinasikan sebagai kemasukan ke wad hospital awam atau swasta. Keputusan kajian menunjukkan permintaan ke atas insurans kesihatan swasta adalah rendah di kalangan golongan kurang berkemampuan seperti individu berpendapatan rendah, berpendidikan rendah, tinggal di kawasan kurang membangun dan juga golonganpenganggur. Kajian juga menunjukkan status kesihatan mempunyai kesan kuat dalam mempengaruhi penggunaankesihatan. Keputusan kajian turut membuktikan wujudnya bahaya moral dalam tahun 1996 tetapi tidak bagi tahun2006. Daripada keputusan kajian, pembuat dasar boleh mensasarkan golongan yang tepat dalam pemberian subsidi sekiranya Skim Insurans Kesihatan Kebangsaan diperkenalkan.Kata kunci: Insurans kesihatan swasta; pembiayaan kesihatan; bahaya moral; penggunaan kesihatan
 
Publisher Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
 
Contributor —
 
Date 2012-12-31
 
Type info:eu-repo/semantics/article
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
Peer-reviewed Article
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Format application/pdf
 
Identifier http://ejournal.ukm.my/jem/article/view/2735
 
Source Jurnal Ekonomi Malaysia; Vol 46, No 2 (2012): Jurnal Ekonomi Malaysia
0126-1962
 
Language eng
 
Relation http://ejournal.ukm.my/jem/article/view/2735/1784
 
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