Parents Affect Children’s Medical Care

• Main Authors: Chin-Hung Cheng, 鄭志宏
• Other Authors: Teng-yuan Hu
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 1999
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/34645225443544633623

碩士 === 淡江大學 === 產業經濟學系 === 87 === Traditionally, the mother plays the major role in caring for the child. An extensive economic literature dealing with children’s medical also explains that in view of mother’s utility. In spite of this, we wonder whether the father and the parent’s factor also have some effect on the medical care for the child. For the purpose of the answer, data processing and empirical analysis are performed with the data obtained both from the National Medical Expenditure Survey 1987 by United States Department of Health and Human Services and from the Area Resource File 1993 by Bureau of Health Professions. Referring to empirical model, I adopt two-stage sample selection model that was presented by Heckman in 1979. The results I obtain are as following：First, Children’s demands of medical treatments will decrease as they gradually grow up. Secondly, Parents’ ages will result in increases of children’s demands of medical treatments relatively. Thirdly, if parents as well as children are in high level of education, it will be easier to judge children''s physical conditions then the demands of medical treatments will increase, too. Fourthly, when fathers with good rates of their wages, they will spend more energy to take care of children. Fifthly, having personal insurance will raise probability of seeing a doctor for the child, whereas CHAMPUS will lower, but as to the frequency of medical treatments, there is not a significant relation between insurance and receiving medical treatments. Sixthly, in view of one of the parents, a father or a mother is willing to take the children to receive medical treatment again, especially in high density of doctors, but if we consider two parents, there is not a significant relation between density of doctors and medical behavior. Besides, the bigger the family is, the more the limitations of the economic resources and concerns children get from parents. Finally, my suggestions of this research are as following, First, as the result indicated that the father also has some effect on the medical care for the child, the father should be taken into consideration of analysis. Secondly, the parents should pay attention to the importance of proper age for pregnancy. Thirdly, one of the governmental policies should include set-up of a sound environment for the growth of the child. The government should intensify integration of education, medical system and insurance system.