Heller P S
Soc Sci Med. 1982;16(3):267-84. doi: 10.1016/0277-9536(82)90337-9.
This paper provides an empirical analysis of the determinants of the demand for medical services in Peninsular Malaysia. After elaborating a theoretical model of household demand for medical care in Section II an econometric model is specified and estimated in Sections III, IV, and V. The results indicate that total medical demand, as measured by the absolute volume of outpatient and inpatient consumption, is highly inelastic to the cash price and to the cost in time of utilization. Total medical demand is also inelastic with respect to income. Yet consumers are clearly responsive to the relative prices of alternative sources of medical care. Consumers are also sensitive to the way in which the time of utilization is spent, with high travel and treatment time causing reduced demand for services.
本文对马来西亚半岛医疗服务需求的决定因素进行了实证分析。在第二节阐述了家庭医疗保健需求的理论模型之后，第三节、第四节和第五节设定并估计了一个计量经济模型。结果表明，以门诊和住院消费的绝对量衡量的总医疗需求，对现金价格和使用时间成本高度缺乏弹性。总医疗需求对收入也缺乏弹性。然而，消费者对替代医疗保健来源的相对价格显然有反应。消费者对使用时间的花费方式也很敏感，出行和治疗时间过长会导致服务需求减少。
