The impact of regulatory fees on the number of patient visits at the doctor’s
Věra Pražmová1, 2
1University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Faculty of Health and Social Studies, Department of Legal Branches, Management and Economy, Czech Republic
2Health Insurance Company of the Ministry of Interior of the Czech Republic, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
Korespondenční autor: JUDr. Věra Pražmová (vprazmova@zpmvcr.cz)
ISSN 1804-7181 (On-line)
Full verze:
Submitted:30. 5. 2014
Accepted: 12. 6. 2014
Published online: 31. 12. 2014
Summary
Beginning on January 1, 2008, in the Czech Republic the regulatory fees in health care were introduced. The article deals with their impact on a number of patient visits to their doctors. The author has analyzed and statistically processed the data of one of the branches of an employee managed health insurance company. This is based on the file of the author’s data, in which she follows the process of an average number of visits per one insured person in selected specializations of an out-patient care in 2007 before the introduction of the fees, and compares it with the average number of visits after the introduction of the fees for the period 2008–2013. The goal of this project was to determine whether the established regulatory fees had the regulatory effect on the consumption of health services, (i.e. whether the fees have led to the reduction of patient visits to the doctor’s office). The process of a number of visits was observed in a total of 22 specialties of out-patient care. The author statistically evaluated the acquired results with the use of the so-called “t-test”. The research has shown that the established fees have led to a reduction of the total number of visits at the doctor’s. Sixteen of twenty-two surveyed specialties after 2008 show a statistically significant decrease in visits. The author reflects on the future of regulatory fees and potential economic impact of their removal.
Keywords: fees; regulation; health care; health insurance
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