Bribes, Tips and Gifts: Informal Payments in Healthcare. Similarities and Differences

The nature of informal payments is not straightforward. The aim of this article is to create a framework that would be helpful in distinguishing informal payments among themselves and from formal payments and corruption. Based on the literature review with combination of content analyses on informal payments we have created 10 indicators by which a comprehensive framework was created. Framework presents similarities and differences among payments. We found out that in 4 of the 10 indicators all payments are different among themselves. We also found out that the gift is so unique that does not match in any of the indicators of the tips and bribes. On the other hand, tips and bribes match in four indicators, which is the highest of all. Based on our analysis, we also conclude that nature of tipping is closer to bribes, than just the symbolic gifts.