The Use of Physician Services Under a National Health Insurance Scheme

An Examination of the Canada Health Survey

Abstract

In this paper the individual is employed as the unit of analysis to examine the extent to which the use of physician care by beneficiaries insured under the Canadian Medicare program is determined by medical needs and sociodemographic characteristics as opposed to economic considerations. The data were derived from the Canada Health Survey, which is a stratified, multistaged sample of the entire population. The results of the discriminant and weighted multiple regression analysis indicate that the use or nonuse of service and the volume of physician care consumed is determined by medical needs and sociodemographic characteristics rather than by economic status. Accordingly, the findings of this study are consistent with the contention that the Medicare program has resulted in an equitable distribution of physician service.