Efficiency, equity and equality in health and health care

Tony Culyer

Efficiency, equity and equality in health and health care

Centre for Health Economics

Research output: Working paper › Discussion paper

Abstract

Three common “Es” have high ethical and political content for health policy: efficiency, equity and equality. This article examines the links between the three, with especial attention given to (a) the claimed conflict between efficiency and equity, (b) the equity of inequalities and (c) the conflict between six equity principles: equal health, equal health gain, equal value of additional health, maintaining existing distributions, allocation according to need and equal per capita resources. Conclusions include: Efficiency and equity do not inherently conflict  an inefficient allocation can be equitable  an efficient allocation can be inequitable  an inefficient allocation can become more efficient without increasing inequity  what is equitable often requires inequality in health and inequality in resource distribution per capita  equality in health requires inequality in resource allocation  equality in resource allocation typically leads to inequality in health  allocation according to need typically leads to inequality in health

Original language	English
Place of Publication	York, UK
Publisher	Centre for Health Economics, University of York
Pages	1-20
Number of pages	20
Publication status	Published - Dec 2015

Publication series

Name	CHE Research Paper
Publisher	Centre for Health Economics, University of York
No.	120

Access to Document

CHERP120_Efficiency_Equity_Equality_Health_CareFinal published version, 1.56 MB

http://www.york.ac.uk/media/che/documents/papers/researchpapers/CHERP120_Efficiency_Equity_Equality_Health_Care.pdf

Cite this

@techreport{05914526e8ee4393b815649ac7ea503c,

title = "Efficiency, equity and equality in health and health care",

abstract = "Three common “Es” have high ethical and political content for health policy: efficiency, equity and equality. This article examines the links between the three, with especial attention given to (a) the claimed conflict between efficiency and equity, (b) the equity of inequalities and (c) the conflict between six equity principles: equal health, equal health gain, equal value of additional health, maintaining existing distributions, allocation according to need and equal per capita resources. Conclusions include: Efficiency and equity do not inherently conflict  an inefficient allocation can be equitable  an efficient allocation can be inequitable  an inefficient allocation can become more efficient without increasing inequity  what is equitable often requires inequality in health and inequality in resource distribution per capita  equality in health requires inequality in resource allocation  equality in resource allocation typically leads to inequality in health  allocation according to need typically leads to inequality in health",

author = "Tony Culyer",

year = "2015",

month = dec,

language = "English",

series = "CHE Research Paper",

publisher = "Centre for Health Economics, University of York",

number = "120",

pages = "1--20",

type = "WorkingPaper",

institution = "Centre for Health Economics, University of York",

}

TY - UNPB

T1 - Efficiency, equity and equality in health and health care

AU - Culyer, Tony

PY - 2015/12

Y1 - 2015/12

N2 - Three common “Es” have high ethical and political content for health policy: efficiency, equity and equality. This article examines the links between the three, with especial attention given to (a) the claimed conflict between efficiency and equity, (b) the equity of inequalities and (c) the conflict between six equity principles: equal health, equal health gain, equal value of additional health, maintaining existing distributions, allocation according to need and equal per capita resources. Conclusions include: Efficiency and equity do not inherently conflict  an inefficient allocation can be equitable  an efficient allocation can be inequitable  an inefficient allocation can become more efficient without increasing inequity  what is equitable often requires inequality in health and inequality in resource distribution per capita  equality in health requires inequality in resource allocation  equality in resource allocation typically leads to inequality in health  allocation according to need typically leads to inequality in health

AB - Three common “Es” have high ethical and political content for health policy: efficiency, equity and equality. This article examines the links between the three, with especial attention given to (a) the claimed conflict between efficiency and equity, (b) the equity of inequalities and (c) the conflict between six equity principles: equal health, equal health gain, equal value of additional health, maintaining existing distributions, allocation according to need and equal per capita resources. Conclusions include: Efficiency and equity do not inherently conflict  an inefficient allocation can be equitable  an efficient allocation can be inequitable  an inefficient allocation can become more efficient without increasing inequity  what is equitable often requires inequality in health and inequality in resource distribution per capita  equality in health requires inequality in resource allocation  equality in resource allocation typically leads to inequality in health  allocation according to need typically leads to inequality in health

M3 - Discussion paper

T3 - CHE Research Paper

SP - 1

EP - 20

BT - Efficiency, equity and equality in health and health care

PB - Centre for Health Economics, University of York

CY - York, UK

ER -