Abstract:
Background: The article offers the results of study on the impact of some medico-social factors on the uninsured person’s health. Material and methods: Data collection was carried out using questioning of 1067 insured/uninsured persons. Results: Uninsured persons in proportion of 37.1% originating from rural areas were compared with 20.5% of uninsured persons originating from urban areas. Uneducated respondents (30.8%) and respondents with secondary-level education (29.7%) represent the segment least covered by medical insurance. The largest percentage (58.1%) of uninsured persons consists of persons with the lowest incomes, ranging from 45.2% in urban areas to 62.8% in rural areas. From urban areas, 76.4% of insured persons and 87.2% of uninsured persons and respectively 66.0% and 76.3% in rural areas appreciate their health status within ”satisfactory – very good”. While 10.1% of uninsured persons, compared with 17.6% of insured persons from urban areas, respectively 7.3% and 14.9% and from rural areas 11.6% and 20.9%, respectively, appreciate their health status as ”poor” and ”very poor”. In case of health concerns, insured persons mainly appeal for hospital in-patient medical services (90.0% of cases), while uninsured persons in the same situations mainly appeal for medical assistance to private medical centers (47.1% cases). It was found that in the case of illness almost every third uninsured person (34.8%) does not seek medical attention, and only every fourth uninsured person (25.6%) addresses to the family doctor.
Description:
Nicolae Testemitsanu Department of Social Medicine and Sanitary Management, Nicolae Testemitsanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Chisinau, the Republic of Moldova