Be Rich or Don't Be Sick: Estimating Vietnamese Patients' Risk of Falling into Destitution

Abstract

Abstract This paper represents the first research attempt to estimate the probabilities of Vietnamese patients falling into destitution due to financial burdens occurring during a curative hospital stay. The study models risk against such factors as level of insurance coverage, residency status of patient, and cost of treatment, among others. The results show that very high probabilities of destitution, approximately 70%, apply to a large group of patients, who are non-residents, poor and ineligible for significant insurance coverage. ...