Raghfar H * (PhD), Gholami S (MA)

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

  Received: 17 Jul 2013, Accepted: 6 Nov 2013

  Abstract

  Introduction: One of the main implications of social justice in a society is actualizing equal basic rights such as equal access to health services and minimum income level. Since social disparities among the individuals are affected by their health status, profound social inequalities can have adverse consequences on health and socio-economic situations of the individuals. Hence, monitoring households' health expenditures, which can reflect socio-economic inequality, can provide valuable information for the health policy makers.

  Methods: Using the Extended Concentration Index and the Health Achievement Index, which both have been introduced by Wagstaff (2002), this study measured the households' health expenditures in Iran disaggregated into expenditure quintiles of the Iranian households. To this end, Iran's annual Household Survey data produced by Iran Statistic Center during 1984 to 2011 was used.

  Results: The least inequality has been occurred in 2011 while the highest inequality varied between 2007 and 1991, depending on the value assigned to inequality aversion parameter. Nevertheless, in overall, the trend of inequality in the studied period has generally been increasing . The average of the concentration extended index and the achievement index during the study period was 0.59 ± 0.03 and 101884.1 ± 3231.56, respectively.

  Conclusion: Findings of the study confirmed on one hand, households' expenditure inequality in favor of the higher income groups, and on the other, that the public policy in health has not been as effective as expected. Moreover, the results of the study indicated that the higher degree of inequality aversion parameter, the lower was the disparity between the average households' health expenditures and its average at the "perfect equality " . This result showed that the capability of the individuals, and particularly the lower income groups, has been weakened.

  Key words: inequality, Extended Concentration Index, Achievement Index

  Please cite this article as follows:

  Raghfar H, Gholami S. Households’ Health Expenditure Inequality in Iran: 1984-2011. Hakim Research Journal 2014 16(4): 302- 316.

  * Corresponding Author: Department of Economics Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences and Economics, Alzahra University, Sheikhbahaie square, Tehran, Iran. Tel: +98- 21- 88044052. E-mail: raghfar@alzahra.ac.ir