Raghfar H * ( PhD), Atrkar Roshan S (PhD), Atefi M (MA)

  Department of Economics, Faculty of Social and Economic Sciences, Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran

  Received: 21 Apr 2012, Accepted: 25 May 2013

  Abstract

  Introduction: One of the major goals of health systems is to establish a fair financial contribution to support the households in affording the expenses of health and treatment and to minimize the exposure of households to catastrophic expenditures. Unfair financial contribution and out of pocket payments that are not in line with capacity to pay, not only lead to more households exposed to catastrophic health expenditures but also result in impoverishment. This study aimed to assess the fair financial contribution index and influencing factors in the rate of households for rural and urban areas in nine regions in Iran.

  Methods: We used the household income-expenditure data of the Iran Statistical Center from 1984 to 2010. Data were analyzed using the STATA 11-SE package.

  Results: The fair financial contribution index had mild fluctuations from 1984 to 2010. There were no significant differences between the nine urban and rural areas regarding the index. The percentage of households exposed to catastrophic expenditures was increased during the study years.

  Conclusion: The applied strategies were not effective and financial contributions in health expenditures were not properly categorized during the selected years. In fact, the health system had not been successful in proper appliance of the health insurance system.

  Key words: fair financial contribution index, households exposed to catastrophic expenditure, health system

  Please cite this article as follows:

  Raghfar H, Atrkar Roshan S, Atefi M. Measurement of the Fair Financial Contribution Index and Catastrophic Expenditures in Different Regions of Iran, 1984-2010. Hakim Research Journal 2013 16(3): 182- 191.

  * Corresponding Author: Department of Economics Science, Faculty of Social and Economics Sciences, Alzahra University, Sheikhbahaie Square, Tehran, Iran. Tel: +98- 21- 88044040, Fax: +98- 21 -88035187, E-mail: Raghfar @ alzahra.ac.ir