Abstract
Abstract
Background
Price differences of medical services across regions may affect equity in health financing. This study aimed to estimate the spatial price index of medical services to measure price levels across regions in the Yangtze River Delta, China.
Methods
Gini-Éltetö-Köves-Szulc method and minimum spanning tree method based on the purchasing power parities were used in this study.
Results
According to the Gini-Éltetö-Köves-Szulc method, Shanghai and Anhui province had price levels that are 127.55% and 103.45% respectively of the price level in Zhejiang province, whereas in Jiangsu medical services were priced at 92.71% of that in Zhejiang province. The spatial price index of medical services in the Yangtze River Delta based on the minimum spanning tree method provided similar results.
Conclusions
Regions in the Yangtze River Delta had significant gaps in medical services price levels. And the price levels tended to not correlate with socioeconomic levels. It is necessary to promote the regional coordination of medical services price and better achieve equity in health.
Funder
National Natural Science Foundation of China
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Cited by
1 articles.
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