Equity in the use of physician services in Canada's universal health system: A longitudinal analysis of older adults

Abstract

This study presents longitudinal evidence on the trends and determinants of income-related inequities in general practitioner (GP), specialist, and any physician visits among older adults (aged 65+) in Canada. Using the Canadian National Population Health Survey between 1998/99 and 2010/11, random effect probit and negative binomial models were employed to model the probability of visit and the total number of visits, respectively. The concentration index-based horizontal inequity (HI) approach was used to measure income-related inequities in physician services. The decomposition technique was applied to explain the factors contributing to the observed inequities. The mobility index (MI) was also calculated to compare short-run and long-run estimates of inequities. The HI indices reveal significant pro-rich inequities in both the probability and the number of specialist visits. Inequities in the likelihood of GP visits and any physician visits were pro-rich but trivial in magnitude. The MI shows that upwardly income mobile individuals contribute to inequity in specialist visits in the long run. After income, education was the most important contributor to inequity in specialist visits, while unobserved heterogeneity explained most of the pro-rich inequity in the total number of GP and any physician visits. Although physician services are free at the point of the provision in Canada, this study demonstrates that poorer older adults utilized fewer specialist services than richer older adults for the same level of need. Specific policies are needed to ensure equity in specialist care use among the older adults in Canada.