Decomposing Gender Differences in Healthcare Expenditure among Uninsured Older Adults in India and Its States

Barsharani Maharana, K J Somaiya Institute of Management, Somaiya Vidyavihar University, Mumbai, India

Using Longitudinal Ageing Study data, the current paper endeavors to elucidate gender disparity in healthcare expenditure among uninsured older adults in India. Findings indicate wide disparity between uninsured male and female older adults in healthcare expenditure where male older adults are privileged. Also, for expenditure on different health items like medicine charges, hospital/nursing home charges, Operation theater and surgery charges, tests and investigation charges, male older adults are benefited than their female counterparts. Result from Theil Decomposition Analysis reveals that between male and female older adults, inequality in healthcare expenditure is substantial as the between group component explains 19.2 percent of total inequality by the Theil index L. Likewise, there exists a huge gender disparity in healthcare expenditure between uninsured older adults, where the between group component explains 20 percent of total inequality by the Theil L index, which signifies gender is an important factor explaining inequality in healthcare expenditure among uninsured older adults. Evolving policies are needed to meet the healthcare needs of uninsured female older adults and to improve their social status as the composition of female older adults has shifted over the period and this vulnerable group is economically dependent on household members for their healthcare needs.

Keywords: Decomposition analysis, Economic Demography, Inequality, Disadvantage and Discrimination, Population Ageing

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