Income-related inequalities in health care utilization in Mongolia, 2007/2008-2012

Abstract

Background: Although health strategies and policies have addressed equitable distribution of health care in Mongolia, few studies have been conducted on this topic. Rapid socio-economic changes have recently occurred; however, there is no evidence as to how horizontal inequity has changed. The aim of this paper is to evaluate income related-inequalities in health care utilizations and their changes between 2007/2008 and 2012 in Mongolia. Methods: The data used in this study was taken from the nationwide cross-sectional data sets, the Household Socio-Economic Survey, collected in 2007/2008 and 2012 by the National Statistical Office of Mongolia. We employed the Erreygers' concentration index to measure inequality in health service utilization. Horizontal inequity was estimated by a difference between actual and predicted use of health services using the indirect standardization method. Results: The results show that the concentration indices for tertiary level, private outpatient and inpatient services were significantly positive, the contrary for family group practice/soum hospital outpatient services, in both years. After controlling for need, pro-rich inequity (p∈