Factors affecting the choice of health care utilisation between private and public services among the elderly population in India

Abstract

India is experiencing rapid population ageing in recent years. One of the most concomitant issues is the choice of health care services among the elderly, leading to its impact on the magnitude of health expenditure. Applying Andersen s Health Behavioural Model, this study identifies the predictors of the choice of inpatient health care services among the Indian elderly between private and public services. It also examines the nature of interregional disparity in the choice of health care services. Using NSSO data, the results suggest that the elderly belonging to upper caste and having higher levels of education, higher incomes, larger family size, and needing surgery are likely to choose private health care, while those experiencing higher economic dependence, chronic diseases, and higher duration of hospitalisation tend to prefer public inpatient services. The magnitude and significance of these factors, however, vary across regions. The findings of the study provide an understanding of the preferences of the India s geriatric population over hospital services, which may help policymakers better understand their health care needs.