Health expenditure data for policy: Health accounts, national accounts or both?

TY - JOUR

T1 - Health expenditure data for policy: Health accounts, national accounts or both?

AU - van Mosseveld, C.

AU - van Polanen Petel, V.

AU - Hernández-Peña, P.

AU - Verbiest, P.

PY - 2018/8

Y1 - 2018/8

N2 - Compatibility of statistical frameworks and comparability of data are aspects of statistical quality. Thispaper explores comparability of data from National Accounts (NA) and Care Accounts/health accounts(CA&HA) of the Netherlands. Although based on the same sources, differences result from specificities ofeach framework, making data adjustments necessary. Data comparison of major aggregates and house-hold spending is a means for verification and for triangulation of sources. Monitoring household spendingon health is one of the Sustainable Development Goals. The usability of NA data for household consump-tion estimates is key to judge plausibility of household spending levels. However, definitions, coverageand valuation in NA and CA&HA should be understood to benefit from the use of NA data for HA. Morethan in the concepts used the strength of NA is the way NA are usually produced compared with HA. Key isthe integrated analysis including supply and demand to verify the comprehensiveness and consistency.It is concluded that SUT data of NA on consumption of human health and social care can be used forjudging plausibility of HA household spending estimates, and, in the absence of the latter, NA data candirectly be used. The case of the Netherlands shows that policy measures can have a large impact on thevalidity of using NA for the estimation of household spending.

AB - Compatibility of statistical frameworks and comparability of data are aspects of statistical quality. Thispaper explores comparability of data from National Accounts (NA) and Care Accounts/health accounts(CA&HA) of the Netherlands. Although based on the same sources, differences result from specificities ofeach framework, making data adjustments necessary. Data comparison of major aggregates and house-hold spending is a means for verification and for triangulation of sources. Monitoring household spendingon health is one of the Sustainable Development Goals. The usability of NA data for household consump-tion estimates is key to judge plausibility of household spending levels. However, definitions, coverageand valuation in NA and CA&HA should be understood to benefit from the use of NA data for HA. Morethan in the concepts used the strength of NA is the way NA are usually produced compared with HA. Key isthe integrated analysis including supply and demand to verify the comprehensiveness and consistency.It is concluded that SUT data of NA on consumption of human health and social care can be used forjudging plausibility of HA household spending estimates, and, in the absence of the latter, NA data candirectly be used. The case of the Netherlands shows that policy measures can have a large impact on thevalidity of using NA for the estimation of household spending.

KW - household consumption

KW - supply and use

KW - health accounts

U2 - 10.1016/j.healthpol.2018.06.004

DO - 10.1016/j.healthpol.2018.06.004

M3 - Article

VL - 122

SP - 885

EP - 891

JO - Health Policy

JF - Health Policy

SN - 0168-8510

IS - 8

ER -