Gender Disparities in Health Care Financing Strategies (HCFS) for Inpatient Care in India

Moradhvaj Dhakad , Jawaharlal Nehru University
Nandita Saikia, Jawaharlal Nehru University

Despite the presence of a vast literature on health-care financing strategies (HCFS) in low- and middle income countries, there is limited evidence of gender disparity in HCFS for in-patient care. Using data from a nationally representative large-scale population-based survey, We examined gender disparities in HCFS for in-patient care among adults aged 15 and above in Indianutrition and access to healthcare. Average health-care expenditure is lower for females in adult and older age groups, with disparity being highest in the adult age group. Females are also discriminated against more when health care has to be paid for by borrowing, sale of assets, or contributions from friends and relatives (distressed financing). Multinomial logit results show that the probability of distressed financing is less for females than for males (Borrowing: ?=-0.26; p=0.001; selling assets/contribution from friends and relatives ?=-0.24; p=0.001). Women in India have less access to in-patient care through distressed HCFS.

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 Presented in Session 6. Health & Mortality & Aging