sahr2001 - Health Systems Trust

Private Sector Financing
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Jane Goudge, i Jud Cornell, ii Di McIntyre iii and Sandi Mbatsha iii
i
Centre for Health Policy, University of Witwatersrand
ii
Independent Consultant
iii
Health Economics Unit, Department of Public Health and Primary Health Care
University of Cape Town
Accurate quantification of the financial and physical resources within the health sector
is crucial to inform policy design and monitoring during implementation. The recent
National Health Accounts project documented the total health care financing and
expenditure during the years 1996/97 – 1998/99. This chapter summarises the results
of the private sector component of the project, looking particularly at the increasing
medical scheme expenditure, out-of-pocket expenditure and co-payments, and the limited
impact of managed care. It suggests recommendations to improve the availability of
data and for the key policy issues within the sector.
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