. Manal Etemadi; . Mohammad Shiri; . Elham Rostami; . Mohammad Mohseni; . Masumeh Seyedi
Volume 9, Issue 12 , December 2019, , Pages 1-8
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Protection against financial risks is one of the important goals of the healthsystem. The present study aims to determine the rate of exposure to catastrophic expenditures ...
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INTRODUCTION: Protection against financial risks is one of the important goals of the healthsystem. The present study aims to determine the rate of exposure to catastrophic expenditures inthe insured inpatients.METHODS: The present study was cross‑sectional one which is conducted in 2016. The statisticalpopulation comprised all the insured patients presenting to a private hospital in Qom who presentedto the hospital within 4 months from December 2015 to March 2016. Random convenience samplingmethod was used, and the sample size was estimated at 267 people using Cochran formula.A questionnaire was employed for data gathering. Data were analyzed using Chi‑square test andlogistic regression using SPSS software version 20.RESULS: Patients exposed to catastrophic expenditures of treatment accounted for the 54.8% ofthe cases. The highest rate of being exposed to the catastrophic expenditures was related to theinsured patients of the Universal Health Insurance Fund (UHIF). People with rural insurance, onaverage, paid the highest cost of treatment in the hospital. The surgical ward and critical care unitaccounted for the biggest percentage of the patients who incurred catastrophic expenditures. Beingrural, longer length of stay, lower education of the head of the household, lack of supplementaryinsurance coverage, and being in UHIF coverage have a substantial relationship with being exposedto catastrophic expenditures.DISCUSSION: The socioeconomic status of the insured people in the UHIF and the Rural InsuranceFund was worse than other funds in terms of less utilization and higher rate of exposure to catastrophicexpenditures, and this issue requires the adoption of specific targeted policies for these groups inrespect with reducing out‑of‑pocket payments through mechanism such as stepwise copayments,maximum out‑of‑pocket limit, fee exemptions or waiver and providing supplementary insurance toreduce the exposure to catastrophic expenditures.
