The Evolution and Influencing Factors of Chinese Out-of-Pocket Healthcare Expenditure Efficiency: DEA-Tobit Analysis Based on Panel Data

Abstract

Based on the panel data from 2002 to 2009 and with the method of DEA-Tobit, firstly we get the conclusion that the state health expenditure efficiency is increasing and personal health expenditure efficiency is descending since health reform and that total health expenditure efficiency is not rising so the problem of inadequate and overly expensive medical services is not solved. Then we analyze
the influencing factors of personal health expenditure efficiency by panel Tobit model. The result shows that there are efficiency differences among different regions in China. The influencing factors include population structure, per local financial expenditure, urbanization ratio, per GDP and population scale.