Livingstone Trish, Lix Lisa, McNutt Mary, Morris Evan, Rosenbluth David, Scott Doug, Watson Felecia
Saskatchewan Health, Regina, SK.
Can J Public Health. 2004 Jan-Feb;95(1):74-8. doi: 10.1007/BF03403639.
To examine the changes in health service use by recipients of Family Health Benefits, a supplementary benefits program that was introduced to lower-income, working families in Saskatchewan beginning in July 1998. These benefits reduced or eliminated fees for prescription drugs and for chiropractic, optometric and dental services.
The study population included program beneficiaries between July 1998 and January 2000. Administrative data maintained by Saskatchewan Health were used to capture information on changes in benefits coverage and use of hospital, physician, prescription drug, chiropractic and optometric services from 1997 to 2000. Demographic characteristics of the study population were described. Utilization rates were compared for periods prior to and following introduction of the program.
Almost three quarters of Family Health Benefit beneficiaries had not had any form of prior supplementary health coverage in the previous year. A large proportion of these beneficiaries lived in rural Saskatchewan. Distinct demographic characteristics were observed for rural and urban beneficiaries. While utilization of physician and hospitalization services was lower following the introduction of the program, utilization of prescription drugs, and both chiropractic and optometric services increased.
The reduction in user fees for non-insured services resulted in an increased use of these health services, suggesting that user fees can act as a barrier to the use of medical services by low-income families.
研究家庭健康福利（一项从1998年7月起引入萨斯喀彻温省低收入在职家庭的补充福利计划）受益人的医疗服务使用变化情况。这些福利减少或免除了处方药以及脊椎按摩、验光和牙科服务的费用。
研究人群包括1998年7月至2000年1月期间的项目受益人。萨斯喀彻温省卫生部保存的行政数据用于获取1997年至2000年期间福利覆盖范围变化以及医院、医生、处方药、脊椎按摩和验光服务使用情况的信息。描述了研究人群的人口统计学特征。比较了项目引入前后各时期的利用率。
近四分之三的家庭健康福利受益人在前一年没有任何形式的补充健康保险。这些受益人中有很大一部分居住在萨斯喀彻温省农村地区。农村和城市受益人呈现出不同的人口统计学特征。虽然项目引入后医生服务和住院服务的利用率有所下降，但处方药以及脊椎按摩和验光服务的利用率有所上升。
非保险服务使用者费用的降低导致这些医疗服务的使用增加，这表明使用者费用可能成为低收入家庭使用医疗服务的障碍。
