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Jurnal Ekonomi Malaysia

53 (1) 2019 89 – 103


The Cost of Healthcare among Malaysian Community-Dwelling Elderly
Kos Penjagaan Kesihatan dalam kalangan Komuniti Warga Tua di Malaysia

Pusat Pengajian Pembangunan Sosial dan Ekonomi
Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT)
21030 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu

roshanim@umt.edu.my

Fakulti Ekonomi dan Pengurusan
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM)
43400 Serdang, Selangor

norashidah@upm.edu.my

Malaysian Research Institute on Ageing (MyAgeing)
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM)
43400 Serdang, Selangor

Department of Resource Management and Consumer Studies
Faculty of Human Ecology
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM)
43400 Serdang, Selangor

sh.azizah@upm.edu.my

Malaysian Research Institute on Ageing (MyAgeing)
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM)
43400 Serdang, Selangor

aizan@upm.edu.my

International Centre for Casemix and Clinical Coding (ITCC)
Tingkat 5, Bangunan Jururawat
Pusat Perubatan Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (PPUKM)
Jalan Yaacob Latiff, Bandar Tun Razak
56000 Cheras, Kuala Lumpur

Department of Health and Policy Management
Faculty of Public Health
Kuwait University
Hawailli, Kuwait

saljunid@gmail.com

International Centre for Casemix and Clinical Coding (ITCC)
Tingkat 5, Bangunan Jururawat
Pusat Perubatan Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (PPUKM)
Jalan Yaacob Latiff, Bandar Tun Razak
56000 Cheras, Kuala Lumpur

amrizal65@gmail.com

Fakulti Ekonomi dan Pengurusan
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM)
43400 Serdang, Selangor

E-mail: nwi@upm.edu.my

Pusat Pengajian Sains Farmasi
Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM)
11800 Minden, Pulau Pinang

aakmal@usm.my

Jabatan Psikiatri
Hospital Sultan Ismail
Jalan Mutiara Emas Utama
Taman Mount Austin
81100 Johor Bahru, Johor

krysu59@gmail.com

Public Health Department
Faculty of Medicine
Ankara Yildirim Beyazit University
Ankara Turkey

memet_nu@yahoo.com

Abstract

The aim of this study is to provide a comprehensive estimate of the direct and indirect costs of healthcare services used in a nationally representative sample of community-dwelling elderly in Malaysia as well as the determinants of such health care costs. The rise of chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs henceforth) is stemming from changes in lifestyle and diet, as well as ageing. The prevalence of NCDs basically increases with age and cause an increases in demand for healthcare services which are associated with higher healthcare costs among the elderly. A survey using multi-stage random sampling techniques recruited 2274 elderly people (60 years and above) in Johor, Perak, Selangor and Kelantan. Overall, a year on average of about RM426.50 of costs was determined to be borne by the sampled elderly Malaysian’s in community-dwellings. The direct costs for outpatient care were RM141.24 and the costs for inpatient care were RM2,527. Meanwhile, the indirect costs for outpatient and inpatient care were RM31.44 and RM524.07 respectively. By using multi regression modelling, healthcare used in private facilities and chronic diseases such as cancer and kidney problem were the predictors that influenced the cost of healthcare among the elderly in the community-dwellings. The higher direct cost implies the higher of out-of-pocket health expenditure will borne by the elderly. The elderly who are unable to bear the healthcare cost should be financially support by the authorities to protect them trapped into the catastrophic health expenditure. Therefore, these findings highlighted the importance of further research aimed at decreasing the prevalence and severity of these NCDs among the elderly in the Malaysian community-dwellings.

Keywords

Ageing Population; Catastrophic Health Expenditure; Chronic Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs); Elderly; Healthcare Cost

Author’s Acknowledgement

This study is funded by the Ministry of Education Long term Research Grant Scheme (LRGS/BU/2012/UKM–UKM/K/01). We acknowledge the contributions of the LRGS TUA study group including the co-researchers, research assistants, enumerators, phlebotomies and research and science officers. We thank the participants, their family members, community leaders and the local authorities for their cooperation throughout the recruitment and data collection processes.


Bibliography

Export Bibliography

Koris, , Mohamed Nor, , Haron, , Hamid, , Aljunid, , Muhammad Nur, , Ismail, N. W., Shafie, , Yusuff, , & Namaitijiang Maimaiti, (2019). The Cost of Healthcare among Malaysian Community-Dwelling Elderly. Jurnal Ekonomi Malaysia, 53(1), 89–103. http://dx.doi.org/10.17576/JEM-2019-5301-8

@article{koris2019cost,
  title={The Cost of Healthcare among Malaysian Community-Dwelling Elderly},
  author={Koris, Roshanim and Mohamed Nor, Norashidah and Haron, Sharifah Azizah and Hamid, Tengku Aizan and Aljunid, Syed Mohamed and Muhammad Nur, Amrizal and Ismail, Normaz Wana and Shafie, Asrul Akmal and Yusuff, Suraya and Namaitijiang Maimaiti, Namaitijiang},
  journal={Jurnal Ekonomi Malaysia},
  volume={53},
  number={1},
  pages={89—103},
 

year={2019},
}


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