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Determinants of Healthcare Utilization and Cost among Privately Insured Families in Saudi Arabia

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Last updated: 03 Jan 2025

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Abstract

Background: The kingdom of Saudi Arabia is currently restructuring its healthcare system through implementing a number of strategies among which the introduction of insurance coverage for both foreign workers and citizens. Objectives: The aim of the present study is to assess factors that affect utilization and cost of health services among a group of privately insured families in Saudi Arabia. Methods: A six month administrative claims database of employees and their dependents from three different companies covered by a major insurance company was utilized to collect demographic enrollment characteristics, service utilization and services costs. The unit of analysis of the present study was families rather than individuals with a total of 131 families included in the analysis. Results: The study revealed that those covered by the highest class of coverage provided by the insurance company (class VIP and A) had more utilization and higher mean charges per family compared to those covered by class B or C. The study also found that middle aged and older families had more utilization and average charges per family compared to younger families. Families in which women were the primary insured had both lower use and lower average charges. Finally, family size seemed not related to any pattern of medical care use. Conclusions: Families with lower insurance class coverage, and families in which women are the primary insured showed lower utilization pattern, but families with older individuals had more utilization. Additional studies are need for a more comprehensive understanding of utilization pattern by the insured population in Saudi Arabia.

DOI

10.21608/jhiph.2008.20913

Keywords

Healthcare Utilization, cost, Privately Insured Families, Saudi Arabia

Authors

First Name

Youssef

Last Name

AA

MiddleName

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Affiliation

Department of Health Administration and Behavioural Sciences (Health Administration, Planning and Policy Division), High Institute of Public Health, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt

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First Name

Al Arfaj

Last Name

HA

MiddleName

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Affiliation

Department of Health Information Management and Technology, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Faisal University, Saudi Arabia

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First Name

Nour El Din

Last Name

MM

MiddleName

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Affiliation

Department of Health Administration and Behavioural Sciences (Hospital Administration Division), High Institute of Public Health, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt

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Orcid

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Volume

38

Article Issue

3

Related Issue

4139

Issue Date

2008-07-01

Receive Date

2018-12-08

Publish Date

2008-07-01

Page Start

685

Page End

700

Print ISSN

2357-0601

Online ISSN

2357-061X

Link

https://jhiphalexu.journals.ekb.eg/article_20913.html

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https://jhiphalexu.journals.ekb.eg/service?article_code=20913

Order

14

Type

Original Article

Type Code

511

Publication Type

Journal

Publication Title

Journal of High Institute of Public Health

Publication Link

https://jhiphalexu.journals.ekb.eg/

MainTitle

Determinants of Healthcare Utilization and Cost among Privately Insured Families in Saudi Arabia

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Article

Created At

22 Jan 2023