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Norwegian

Private health care as a supplement to a public health system with waiting time for treatment

Link to article:

[PDF]

Authors:

Hoel, Michael and Erik Magnus Sæther

Year:

2000

Reference:

Memorandum
Number in series: 41

Summary

We consider an economy where most of the health care is publicly provided, and where there is waiting time for several types of treatments. Private health care without waiting time is an option for the patients in the public health queue. We show the effects of a tax (positive or negative) on private health care, and derive the socially optimal tax/subsidy. Finally, we discuss how the size of the tax might affect the political support for a high quality public health system.

JEL:

I111, I118

Keywords:

Private health care, public health care, health queues

Project:

Oppdragsgiver: Norges forskningsråd
Oppdragsgivers prosjektnr.:
Frisch prosjekt: 4101 - Economics of health

Contact:

e.m.sather@frisch.uio.no