Household health care facility utilization in the Philippines

This paper presents probit estimates of household utilization of health care facilities in the Philippines. Using household data from the 1987 National Health Survey and supply data from the Department of Health, separate probit equations are estimated for each of the four major types of facilities in the Philippines: Public hospitals, private hospitals, major rural health units and barangay (village) health stations. The probability that a household will utilize services from these facilities is estimated as a function of socioeconomic, demographic and supply variables. The results indicate substantial differences in utilization patterns by income class. Households in the highest income quartile are approximately twice as likely (0.451 versus 0.236) to utilize private hospital services vis-à-vis households in the lowest income quartile, ceteris paribus. The results also indicate substantial substitution between public and private services. An increase in the availability of private hospital beds significantly reduces the probability that a household will utilize government facilities.