@article{MTMT:2393943, title = {The link between past informal payments and willingness of the Hungarian population to pay formal fees for health care services: results from a contingent valuation study.}, url = {https://m2.mtmt.hu/api/publication/2393943}, author = {Baji, Petra and Pavlova, M and Gulácsi, László and Farkas, Miklós and Groot, W}, doi = {10.1007/s10198-013-0531-y}, journal-iso = {EUR J HEALTH ECON}, journal = {EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF HEALTH ECONOMICS}, volume = {15}, unique-id = {2393943}, issn = {1618-7598}, abstract = {We examine the willingness of health care consumers to pay formal fees for health care use and how this willingness to pay is associated with past informal payments. We use data from a survey carried out in Hungary in 2010 among a representative sample of 1,037 respondents. The contingent valuation method is used to elicit the willingness to pay official charges for health care services covered by the social health insurance if certain quality attributes (regarding the health care facility, access to the services and health care personnel) are guaranteed. A bivariate probit model is applied to examine the relationship between willingness to pay and past informal payments. We find that 66 % of the respondents are willing to pay formal fees for specialist examinations and 56 % are willing to pay for planned hospitalizations if these services are provided with certain quality and access attributes. The act of making past informal payments for health care services is positively associated with the willingness to pay formal charges. The probability that a respondent is willing to pay official charges for health care services is 22 % points higher for specialist examinations and 45 % points higher for hospitalization if the respondent paid informally during the last 12 months. The introduction of formal fees should be accompanied by adequate service provision to assure acceptance of the fees. Furthermore, our results suggest that the problem of informal patient payments may remain even after the implementation of user fees.}, year = {2014}, eissn = {1618-7601}, pages = {853-867} } @article{MTMT:2228034, title = {Exploring consumers' attitudes towards informal patient payments using the combined method of cluster and multinomial regression analysis - the case of Hungary}, url = {https://m2.mtmt.hu/api/publication/2228034}, author = {Baji, Petra and Pavlova, M and Gulácsi, László and Groot, W}, doi = {10.1186/1472-6963-13-62}, journal-iso = {BMC HEALTH SERV RES}, journal = {BMC HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH}, volume = {13}, unique-id = {2228034}, issn = {1472-6963}, abstract = {ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Previous studies on informal patient payments have mostly focused on the magnitude and determinants of these payments while the attitudes of health care actors towards these payments are less well known. This study aims to reveal the attitudes of Hungarian health care consumers towards informal payments to provide a better understanding of this phenomenon. METHODS: For the analysis, we use data from a survey carried out in 2010 in Hungary involving a representative sample of 1037 respondents. We use cluster analysis to identify the main attitude groups related to informal payments based on the respondents' perception of and behavior related to informal payments. Multinomial logistic regression is applied to examine the differences between these groups in terms of socio-demographic characteristics, as well as past utilization and informal payments paid for health care services. RESULTS: We identified three main different attitudes towards informal payments: accepting informal payments, doubting about informal payments and opposing informal payments. Those who accept informal payments (mostly young or elderly people, living in the capital) consider these payments as an expression of gratitude and perceive them as inevitable due to the low funding of the health care system. Those who doubt about informal payments (mostly respondents outside the capital, with higher education and higher household income) are not certain whether these payments are inevitable, perceive them as similar to corruption rather than gratitude, and would rather use private services to avoid these payments. We find that the opposition to informal payments (mostly among men from small households and low income households) can be explained by their lower ability and willingness to pay. CONCLUSIONS: A large share of Hungarian health care consumers has a rather positive attitude towards informal payments, perceiving them as "inevitable due to the low funding of the health care system". From a policy point-of-view, the change of this consumer attitude will be essential to deal with these payments in addition to other policy strategies.}, year = {2013}, eissn = {1472-6963} }