Determinants of elders' choice between private and public health care providers

Objective Elderly choose between utilizing private or public health care providers based on their socioeconomic, demographic, and epidemiological condition. The purposes of this study was to evaluate how these factors affect the choice of health care provider and to compare the impact of their choice on individual and family income. Methods Data from 7,920 elders interviewed in a study of the State Committee for the Elderly of the state of Rio Grande do Sul in 1995 was used to evaluate the impact of elders' gender, age, educational level, individual income, family income, family size, participation in the family total income, and health self-assessment when choosing private or public health care providers. The statistical analysis was carried out using logistic regression. Results To have access to private health care providers, family income had a much more significant impact than individual income. When family income increased in one minimum wage, the odds of using private providers increased by 20% while it was only 7% when there was a similar increase in individual income. Other variables had also a positive impact: female, age, schooling, and smaller family size. Conclusions Elderly choices' on health care depend on the family's needs and resources and not on the individual condition. Therefore, low-income elderly health is a lower priority in the family and it is disproportionately impaired by reduced family resources and deficiencies of public health care.