Patterns of Health Care Expenditures, Utilization and Demand for Medical Care in Sample Philippine Households

Due to tight fiscal budget, health care planners have started to explore alternative financing mechanisms. These alternatives can be effectively implemented given thorough understanding of mechanisms that direct household demand for health care. This paper investigates the factors of households’ health seeking behavior to determine the implications for health care financing reforms. In addition, it looks into the responsiveness of households to changes in prices and income. Insights of household risk-sharing participation are also provided.