Income-Based Disparities in Health Care Utilization Under Universal Coverage in Brazil

25 Pages Posted: 23 May 2011 Last revised: 20 Feb 2023

See all articles by Guido Cataife

Guido Cataife

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Charles Courtemanche

University of North Carolina (UNC) at Greensboro - Department of Economics

Date Written: May 2011

Abstract

Since Brazil's adoption of universal health care in 1988, the country's health care system has consisted of a mix of private providers and free public providers. We test whether income-based disparities in medical visits and medications remain in Brazil despite universal coverage using a nationally representative sample of over 48,000 households. Additional income is associated with less public sector utilization and more private sector utilization, both using simple correlations and regressions controlling for household characteristics and local area fixed effects. Importantly, the increase in private care use is greater than the drop in public care use. Also, income and unmet medical needs are negatively associated. These results suggest that access limitations remain for low-income households despite the availability of free public care.

Suggested Citation

Cataife, Guido and Courtemanche, Charles, Income-Based Disparities in Health Care Utilization Under Universal Coverage in Brazil (May 2011). NBER Working Paper No. w17069, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1848584

Guido Cataife

affiliation not provided to SSRN ( email )

Charles Courtemanche

University of North Carolina (UNC) at Greensboro - Department of Economics ( email )

Greensboro, NC 27402-6165
United States

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