Publication: Qualitative Study on Informal Payments for Health Services in Georgia
Date
2002-11
ISSN
Published
2002-11
Author(s)
Belli, Paolo
Shahriari, Helen
Curtio Medical Group
Abstract
This paper focuses on the specific
dimension of informal payments by health users in Georgia, a
growing pattern within many ECA (East Europe and Central
Asia) countries. Using newly collected data from in-depth
interviews and focus groups in rural and urban areas of the
country, it investigates the determinants of out-of-pocket
payments for health services that are supposed to be
delivered free of charge under the Georgian Basic Benefit
Package (BBP). The study finds that the demarcation between
formal and informal components of these Out-of-Pocket
payments is extremely imprecise because of: (a) the spread
of "health rights unawareness" around the country
and, (b) the prices outside the BBP differ from provider to
provider. The study also found that some informal payments
are based on cultural/social patterns ingrained in the
Georgian tradition. Georgian now about the low health sector
salaries and compensate the doctors with small payments.
Finally, some recommendations to help the Georgian
government to break the vicious cycle (excess capacity,
decreasing demand of health services, lack of
accountability) are proposed in this study, including
greater role of the government in leading reforms, and the
wider participation of the private sector in designing new
governance arrangements in the future.
Citation
“Belli, Paolo; Shahriari, Helen; Curtio Medical Group. 2002. Qualitative Study on Informal Payments for Health Services in Georgia. HNP discussion paper series;. © World Bank, Washington, DC. http://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/13773 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”