Development of Competition in Regional Markets of Medical Services

Abstract

The purpose of assessing the level of competition in the market of medical services is achieved through the use of the author’s methodology. The author develops a theoretical model of competition taking into account features of the social sphere on the basis of the received estimates. The method of assessing the level of competition includes two groups of indicators: objective and subjective ones. Objective indicators are based on the use of official statistical information, subjective indicators are based on the data of electronic surveys of service consumers. The paper presents the integral assessment in points and allows to refer the level of competition in the market to one of three categories: weak, moderate or strong competition. According to the results of evaluating, the author points out the problems hindering the development of competition in the market, as well as features that impose restrictions on the potential of forming a competitive environment. These include: high share of public institutions in the market, complexity of working in the system of compulsory health insurance for commercial organizations, lack of real mechanisms for the development of competition on the part of the state. The author presents a theoretical model of development of competition in the market including three levels of medical organizations allocated in accordance with complexity and cost of the process of providing services and conditions implemented by Federal and regional authorities.