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  • Title: Informal payments for maternity health services in public hospitals in Greece.
    Author: Kaitelidou DCh, Tsirona CS, Galanis PA, Siskou OCh, Mladovsky P, Kouli EG, Prezerakos PE, Theodorou M, Sourtzi PA, Liaropoulos LL.
    Journal: Health Policy; 2013 Jan; 109(1):23-30. PubMed ID: 23153567.
    Abstract:
    BACKGROUND: Private health expenditure for consuming maternity health services has been identified as an issue within public hospitals. AIM: To estimate level of private health expenditure, in the form of informal payments, for maternal services in public hospitals in Greece. METHODS: The study population consisted of 160 women who had recently given birth in three provincial general hospitals and one general hospital in Athens. A three-part questionnaire was developed in order to collect financial information regarding the use of public obstetrics services in Greece. RESULTS: The mean age of respondents was 29.5 (±5.6) years. There was a high rate of informal payments with 74.4% of women involved in informal transactions. Mean total private payments were €1549 (±992), representing 7.9% of the mean annual per capita income in Greece. Mean informal payment was €848 (±714). For 56.3% of the respondents, it was at the obstetrician's request, on top of formal payment of €701 (±1351). Total informal payments were higher for women who gave birth in Athens (p<0.001), for Greek women compared to non Greek (p<0.001) and for deliveries that were conducted by women's personal obstetrician (p=0.001). CONCLUSION: There is a large black economy in the field of obstetric services, as 74.4% of women who used public maternity services had to pay under-the-table payments corresponding approximately to the net salary of an intern physician. There is a need for the state to adopt innovative strategies and mechanisms in order to reduce informal payments for obstetric services in the public sector.
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