Abstract
The determinants of general practitioner (GP) visiting patterns in Ireland, in particular the role of eligibility for free GP care, are examined using microdata from a nationally representative survey of the population in 2001. Whereas most studies find that need factors such as age and health status are most important in determining GP visiting rates, the Irish situation is complicated by the distinction between medical card patients, who receive free GP visits, and private patients, who must pay for each visit. Controlling for a variety of need-related and other factors, the results show that health status and medical card eligibility are consistently most important in explaining differences in GP visiting patterns. The medical card result is particularly noteworthy; even when differences in age and other observable characteristics between medical card and private patients are taken into account, medical card patients are both more likely than private patients to visit their GP, and they visit more frequently when they do. In addition, we investigated whether individuals just above the income threshold for a medical card are disadvantaged in terms of accessing GP services in comparison with other private patients on higher incomes. We found that there is little significant difference among private patients in GP visiting rates as we move up the income distribution.
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Notes
Body mass index (BMI) is calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared. The ranges for females are: <19.1 (underweight), 19.1–25.7 (ideal weight), 25.8–32.1 (overweight) and >32.1 (obese). For males, the ranges are: <20.7 (underweight), 20.7–26.4 (ideal weight), 26.5–31.1 (overweight) and >31.1 (obese). Source: www.vhihealthe.com.
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Acknowledgments
This research forms part of the research programme The Provision and Use of Health Services, Health Inequalities, and Health and Social Gain funded by the Health Research Board and undertaken by researchers from the Economic and Social Research Institute, University College Dublin and the University of Ulster.
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Nolan, A., Nolan, B. Eligibility for free GP care, “need” and GP visiting in Ireland. Eur J Health Econ 9, 157–163 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10198-007-0054-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10198-007-0054-5