Health Policy and Planning, Vol 13, 41-49, Copyright © 1998 by Oxford University Press
T Ensor and L Savelyeva
An important feature of the health care system of the Former Soviet Union
(FSU) and Central and Eastern Europe is the presence of informal or
under-the-table payments. It is generally accepted that these represent a
significant contribution to the income of medical staff. Discussions with
medical practitioners suggest that for certain specialities in certain
hospitals a doctor might obtain many times his official income. Yet little
empirical work has been done in this area.Informal payments can be divided
into those paid to health care providers and those that go directly to
practitioners. They can be further divided into monetary and non-monetary.
The complexity of these payments make obtaining estimates using
quantitative survey techniques difficult.Estimates on contributors to the
costs of medicines in Kazakstan suggest that they may add 30% to national
health care expenditure. Payments to staff are likely to add substantially
to this figure, although few reliable statistics exist.
ARTICLES
Informal payments for health care in the former Soviet Union: some evidence from Kazakstan
Centre for Health Economics, University of York, UK; Health care consultant, Almaty, Republic of Kazakstan
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  P. Aarva, I. Ilchenko, P. Gorobets, and A. Rogacheva Formal and informal payments in health care facilities in two Russian cities, Tyumen and Lipetsk Health Policy Plan., September 1, 2009; 24(5): 395 - 405. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 P. Gaal, P. C. Belli, M. McKee, and M. Szocska Informal Payments for Health Care: Definitions, Distinctions, and Dilemmas Journal of Health Politics Policy and Law, April 1, 2006; 31(2): 251 - 293. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. Garcia-Prado and M. Chawla The impact of hospital management reforms on absenteeism in Costa Rica Health Policy Plan., March 1, 2006; 21(2): 91 - 100. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
G. Gotsadze, S. Bennett, K. Ranson, and D. Gzirishvili Health care-seeking behaviour and out-of-pocket payments in Tbilisi, Georgia Health Policy Plan., July 1, 2005; 20(4): 232 - 242. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M Segall, G Tipping, H Lucas, T V Dung, N T Tam, D X Vinh, and D L Huong Economic transition should come with a health warning: the case of Vietnam J Epidemiol Community Health, July 1, 2002; 56(7): 497 - 505. [Abstract] [Full Text]
|
|