Abstract:
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The proportion of older citizens is increasing in the population of most countries. Keeping the well-being of this cohort usually demands more attention and resources. The elderly as a group are generally in poorer health than the rest of the population. They are more likely to suffer from disability and visit the doctor more often. Those with chronic ailments particularly need continuing treatment, some require long-term care in a nursing facility. For this more intensified health care, a larger portion of their income goes to health care. To meet the higher and more frequent medical expenditure, individual or family savings are usually tapped. In developing countries, many elderly do not normally have enough earnings to cover recurring and higher health care expenditures. Fortunately, the traditional value of intergeneration caring remains in many societies, as in Thailand. The younger, productive generation takes care of the welfare of their parents and, in many cases, grandparents. Nevertheless, public health care and welfare spending, such as in public insurance, will likely increase. The higher spending will be driven by the more frequent demand for health care from the growing number of elderly, chronically ill patients, and higher cost of medical care. On top of this, governments are investing on improvements in health care systems and medical technology. This research proposes an advanced analysis of the utilization of health care in Thailand focusing on the demand for health care services by the elderly. The study takes a micro-analytic approach. An econometric model was developed to analyze a bivariate effect. This enabled an inference of the incidences of chronic diseases and acute illness, health status of the population and health-related behavior e.g., exercise. The effect of chronic ill patient to wealth of family is analyzed. Moreover, under insurance scheme, health care access of that population group is analyzed. And finally, health care utilization is measured in the case of people who have particular chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, heart problems, and cancer. The analysis is disaggregated into different groups by occupation, age-cohort, economic status, and other attributes. The analysis also describes possible scenarios based on the projections on demographic change, urbanization, and other changes in society. The results would inform a forecast of the magnitude of national financial requirements for health care. The research results aid in the formulation of policy by providing the probability and magnitude of the elderly facing acute and chronic diseases.
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