User fees, demand for children's health care and access across income groups: the Philippine case

Abstract

This paper examines the potential effects of user fees on the demand for child health care across income groups. A mixed/conditional logit model of provider choice is estimated using national data from the Philippines. The model explicitly allows for price elasticity to be dependent upon income. The results indicate that price plays a significant role in the demand for child health care and that medical care demand for poorer children is substantially more price sensitive than it is for richer children. The notion that user fees are regressive is therefore supported.