World Bank2012-03-192012-03-192011-03-28https://hdl.handle.net/10986/2784In many countries absent or poorly functioning prepayment mechanisms for health care expose families to the financial risks associated with accidents and sickness. The report exploits a specially designed health governance and accountability module that was added to the 2008 wave of the Albania LSMS to gain additional insight into the determinants of informal payments and household perceptions and experiences of governance in the health sector more generally. This report is structured in four parts. Following the motivation, introduction and summary of the report's findings in part one, part two sets the institutional context for readers not already familiar with Albania's health system, and presents data showing public perceptions of health care and answers to subjective questions included in the health governance and accountability module of the 2008 Albania LSMS. These data have been combined with prior waves of the LSMS to show how the incidence of informal payments has changed in recent years. Part three shows the impact out-of-pocket payments -both formal and informal- have on household consumption and the incidence of poverty. Part fourth presents the results of statistical analysis, using techniques to match like-households over time, in order to identify significant factors at the household level that are associated with informal payments and how these have changed during a period of structural changes in the health system.CC BY 3.0 IGOABILITY TO PAYACCOUNTABILITY MECHANISMSADEQUATE RESOURCESAFFORDABILITYBANKSBASIC NEEDSBRIBEBRIBESCAPITAL INVESTMENTSCARE ACCESSCATASTROPHIC HEALTH EXPENDITURECLINICSCORRUPTIONCOST OF HEALTH CARECOST OF SERVICESCOSTS OF TREATMENTCULTURAL NORMSDEMAND FOR HEALTHDEMAND FOR HEALTH CAREDISCRIMINATIONDRUGSEARNINGSEDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENTEMPLOYMENTEMPOWERMENTEQUITY IN ACCESSEXPENDITURESEXTENDED FAMILIESFAMILIESFEE FOR SERVICEFEE-FOR-SERVICEFINANCIAL ASSISTANCEFINANCIAL RISKSFREE CAREHEALTH AFFAIRSHEALTH CARE COSTSHEALTH CARE FACILITIESHEALTH CARE FINANCINGHEALTH CARE PROVIDERSHEALTH CARE SECTORHEALTH CARE SERVICESHEALTH CARE SYSTEMHEALTH CARE SYSTEMSHEALTH CARE SYSTEMS IN TRANSITIONHEALTH CENTERSHEALTH CENTREHEALTH CENTRESHEALTH COSTSHEALTH ECONOMICSHEALTH EXPENDITUREHEALTH EXPENDITURESHEALTH FACILITIESHEALTH FINANCEHEALTH FINANCINGHEALTH INDICATORSHEALTH INSTITUTIONSHEALTH INSURANCEHEALTH INSURANCE CONTRIBUTIONSHEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGEHEALTH INSURANCE SYSTEMHEALTH ORGANIZATIONHEALTH POLICYHEALTH POSTSHEALTH PROVIDERSHEALTH SECTORHEALTH SERVICEHEALTH SERVICE DELIVERYHEALTH SERVICESHEALTH SYSTEMHEALTH SYSTEMSHEALTH-CAREHEALTH-CARE SYSTEMHEALTHCAREHOSPITAL BEDSHOSPITAL CAREHOSPITALSHOUSEHOLD EXPENDITUREHOUSEHOLD INCOMESHOUSEHOLDSHUMAN CAPITALHUMAN DEVELOPMENTHYGIENEILLNESSINCOMEINCOME COUNTRIESINCOME GROUPSINFORMAL PAYMENTSINFORMATION CAMPAIGNSINPATIENT ADMISSIONINPATIENT CARELOW INCOMEMARKET ECONOMYMEDICAL CAREMEDICAL DOCTORSMEDICAL ETHICSMEDICAL EXPENSESMEDICAL FEESMEDICAL SPECIALISTSMEDICAL STAFFMEDICATIONNATIONAL HEALTHNURSESNUTRITIONOLDER PEOPLEOUTPATIENT CAREOUTPATIENT SERVICESPATIENTPATIENTSPAYMENTS FOR HEALTH SERVICESPEOPLESPHYSICIANPHYSICIANSPOCKET PAYMENTSPOCKET PAYMENTS FOR HEALTH CAREPOLICY RESEARCHPREGNANT WOMENPREPAYMENT MECHANISMSPRIMARY CAREPRIMARY HEALTH CAREPRIVATE FEESPRIVATE HEALTH INSURANCEPRIVATE HOSPITALSPRIVATE SECTORPRIVATE SERVICESPROBABILITYPUBLIC ADMINISTRATIONPUBLIC HEALTHPUBLIC HEALTH EXPENDITURESPUBLIC HEALTH SPENDINGPUBLIC HOSPITALPUBLIC HOSPITALSPUBLIC SCHOOLPUBLIC SECTORREHABILITATIONRISK MANAGEMENTSAVINGSSOCIAL HEALTH INSURANCESOCIAL WELFARETECHNICAL SUPPORTTREATMENTSTUBERCULOSISUNIONUNIVERSAL ACCESSURBAN AREASUSER FEESVULNERABLE PEOPLEWORKERSWorld Bankhttps://doi.org/10.1596/2784