Household out-of-pocket health expenditures in Turkey and the determinants of these expenditures: 2000-2010 period

Out-of-pocket health expenditure refers to non-refundable direct payments to health-care service providers, paid by households or individuals to access to health-care services. Because out-of-pocket health expenditures, one of the methods of financing health-care services, affect both individuals and health-care financing, the size of out-of-pocket health expenditures must be determined.In this study, health, health-care services, health economics, Turkey?s health system and its financing is focused on. In order to determine the factors that affect health expenditures of households in Turkey, a logistic regression model is estimated by using micro data set of 2010 Household Budget Survey, published by TurkStat.The results indicate that, compared to other households, households whose head has optional insurance, households whose head is female or married, households that have family members 5 years old and under or 65 years old and over and households that have family members having physical or mental problem that prevents daily activity are more likely to come across with out-of-pocket health expenditure. In addition, it is concluded that as the level of income of households increases, the probability of those households to disburse out-of-pocket health expenditure also rises.