Morbidity And Out of Pocket Expenditure Among the Households of a Rural area of Kozhikode district, Kerala- A Cross-Sectional Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51957/Healthline_833_2026Keywords:
health expenditures, insurance, health, morbidity, out-of-pocket costs, universal health coverageAbstract
Introduction: Universal Health Coverage ensures access to quality healthcare without financial hardship. Even though Indian state Kerala has good achievements of health indicators, Out of Pocket expenditure remains a major concern. Objectives: To assess the prevalence of reported out-patient and in-patient morbidity, healthcare service utilization and to estimate the associated Out of Pocket expenditure. Methods: A Community based Cross Sectional study was conducted among 663 households (n=2371) of Chathamangalam Gram Panchayat, Kozhikode district. A multistage random sampling technique was used. Data on Out Patient (OP) and In Patient (IP) morbidity and expenditure, Health Insurance details were collected using a pre tested questionnaire. Results: Prevalence of OP and IP morbidity rate was 174 and 19 per 1000 population respectively. Private sector utilization was higher for both OP (53.4%) and IP (77%) care. OOPE for OP care at public and private care was ₹145 and 700 respectively. Highest Expenditure in public care was for medicines (₹500) and in private for investigations (₹1150). IP OOPE for public and private care was 600 and 5050 respectively. Highest Expenditure in public was for medicines (₹500) in private for investigations (₹1250). While 74.6% of households were enrolled in health insurance schemes, insured family incurred a median OOPE of ₹2625 compared to ₹4250 among the uninsured. Conclusion: OP and IP health care continue to impose huge financial burden on households in Kerala. Expanding financial protection to cover OP care and improving service delivery in the public sector are essential in achieving UHC.
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