The Effects of Health Expenditures on Health Outcomes in Türkiye

Abstract

Aim: In this study, time series and regression analyses were conducted to understand and explore the impact of both public and private health expenditures on health outcomes in Türkiye. Methods: In the study, life expectancy at birth, human development index, disability-adjusted life years per 100,000 people, and share of total health expenditures in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) were employed as dependent variables. Total public and private health investments, current health expenditures for hospitals, current health expenditures for retail sales, and other medical equipment providers were used as independent variables. The data included the period between 2002 and 2019. Results: The results confirm the positive impact of health expenditures in Türkiye, especially public and private health investments, and hospital current expenditures on the burden of disease. However, surprisingly, the results revealed that both public and private health expenditures had no impact on life expectancy at birth, the Human Development Index, or the share of total health expenditures in GDP. As a significant finding, this study demonstrated that public and private health investments and current hospital expenditures in Türkiye have shown improvements in disease burdens, indicating that investment decisions in this area are crucial in terms of both short-term and long-term benefits. Conclusion: These results support the efforts of the country to create a sturdy, objective, and proof-based decision-making process.