Convergence and determinants of health expenditures in OECD countries
Abstract This study examines the trend and determinants of health expenditures in OECD countries over the 1975-2004 period. Based on recent developments in the economic growth literature we propose and test the hypothesis that health care expenditures in countries of similar economic development lev...
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doaj-d8d9cd3a71174ea2a6f6539d5f2394722020-11-24T23:02:01ZengBMCHealth Economics Review2191-19912017-08-017111110.1186/s13561-017-0164-4Convergence and determinants of health expenditures in OECD countriesSon Hong Nghiem0Luke Brian Connelly1The Australian Research Centre for Health Services Innovation, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, School of Public Health and Social Work, Queensland University of TechnologyCentre for the Business and Economics of Health, Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences, The University of QueenslandAbstract This study examines the trend and determinants of health expenditures in OECD countries over the 1975-2004 period. Based on recent developments in the economic growth literature we propose and test the hypothesis that health care expenditures in countries of similar economic development level may converge. We hypothesise that the main drivers for growth in health care costs include: aging population, technological progress and health insurance. The results reveal no evidence that health expenditures among OECD countries converge. Nevertheless, there is evidence of convergence among three sub-groups of countries. We found that the main driver of health expenditure is technological progress. Our results also suggest that health care is a (national) necessity, not a luxury good as some other studies in this field have found.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13561-017-0164-4Health expenditureConvergenceOECD countries |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Son Hong Nghiem Luke Brian Connelly |
spellingShingle |
Son Hong Nghiem Luke Brian Connelly Convergence and determinants of health expenditures in OECD countries Health Economics Review Health expenditure Convergence OECD countries |
author_facet |
Son Hong Nghiem Luke Brian Connelly |
author_sort |
Son Hong Nghiem |
title |
Convergence and determinants of health expenditures in OECD countries |
title_short |
Convergence and determinants of health expenditures in OECD countries |
title_full |
Convergence and determinants of health expenditures in OECD countries |
title_fullStr |
Convergence and determinants of health expenditures in OECD countries |
title_full_unstemmed |
Convergence and determinants of health expenditures in OECD countries |
title_sort |
convergence and determinants of health expenditures in oecd countries |
publisher |
BMC |
series |
Health Economics Review |
issn |
2191-1991 |
publishDate |
2017-08-01 |
description |
Abstract This study examines the trend and determinants of health expenditures in OECD countries over the 1975-2004 period. Based on recent developments in the economic growth literature we propose and test the hypothesis that health care expenditures in countries of similar economic development level may converge. We hypothesise that the main drivers for growth in health care costs include: aging population, technological progress and health insurance. The results reveal no evidence that health expenditures among OECD countries converge. Nevertheless, there is evidence of convergence among three sub-groups of countries. We found that the main driver of health expenditure is technological progress. Our results also suggest that health care is a (national) necessity, not a luxury good as some other studies in this field have found. |
topic |
Health expenditure Convergence OECD countries |
url |
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13561-017-0164-4 |
work_keys_str_mv |
AT sonhongnghiem convergenceanddeterminantsofhealthexpendituresinoecdcountries AT lukebrianconnelly convergenceanddeterminantsofhealthexpendituresinoecdcountries |
_version_ |
1725637713295572992 |