Differences in healthcare expenses
Inami/Riziv presents standardised statistics on geographical differences in expenses in the healthcare sector.
The standardised data and the analysis of this data on a geographical basis will be of added value in the decision making process in health insurance.
What is the data?
The data relates to health insurance expenditure, i.e. expenses related to reimbursable benefits. This represents a very large part of healthcare consumption in Belgium.
Previously, the data was available on a geographical basis which was then aggregated by region, province and district, based on the home address of the insured, but was not standardised. Comparing differences in expenditure without referencing the objective characteristics of the population could have generated inaccurate conclusions.
In this new report, the geographical differences in expenditure are presented by taking population structure (age, sex, socioeconomic status) into account. The objective of applying a standardised method is to ‘erase' the differences in consumption related to population structure, in order to allow for more valid comparisons. Mapping techniques of the data allows you to view these differences.
The report also analyzes the origin of some of these differences, including for example the identification of certain highly variable services and some explanatory factors between boroughs.
The geographical analysis is made for:
- expenditure in general
- selected sectors
- and by class of drugs
Objectives
Inami/Riziv wishes:
- To develop a standardised methodology for data analysis, given specific categories of the population. Some factors may
be neutralized, thus making geographic analysis more reliable. This method is a more accurate representation of the
differences in consumption of care according to the insured's home.
- To develop standardised data related to the expenditure on services over an 18 month period.
- To better identify the differences for which additional analysis or specific action is required.
Future reports will be updated periodically; data for year T will be published at the end of the last trimester of year T+2.
More Info?
You can read the report (in French or Dutch) ‘Geografie van de medische consumptie' / ‘Géographie de la consommation médicale' on the website of Inami: www.inami.be > header: Voulez-vous en savoir plus? / Wilt u meer weten ? > Etudes et Recherches / Studies en Onderzoek.