Access to health care in a system transition: the case of Bulgaria.

Abstract

This paper examines the pattern of illness behaviour in Bulgaria, seeking evidence of inequalities in access to services and eliciting users' pathways to care. Analysis drew on a representative population survey in Bulgaria (1997). The financial determinants of service use were tested in a multivariate model adjusted first for age, and then for age, marital status and self-reported health. In-depth interviews with users and providers addressed pathways to care, use of connections and other informal strategies to obtain care. As expected, rates of illness vary with income, with highest rates among the poor. After adjustment for illness, consultation rates are relatively equal across income levels, with the exception of worse-off women who tend to consult more.

Read the id21 Research Highlight:
Coping, just - access to care in the new Bulgarian health system

Citation

Journal of Health Planning and Management, 17 (4), 377-395 pp.

Access to health care in a system transition: the case of Bulgaria.

Published 1 January 2002