Manjeet Kumar
As disparities are frequently not reflected in health outcomes, geographic diversity in health care usage has generated concerns about potential inefficiencies in the health care system. We study regional variance in health care usage using extensive Norwegian microdata and cross-region migration. According to our findings, patient demand makes up the remaining 50% of the utilisation differential between high and low usage locations. The other 50% is accounted for by geographical characteristics. We also provide diverse effects of geography across socioeconomic classes. For high school dropouts and high school graduates, location variables account for 75% and 40%, respectively, of the regional utilisation differences; for patients with a college degree, the influence of place is minimal.
KeywordsHealth care supply; Health care demand; Health care spending; Regional variation; Health outcomes
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