HEALTH SERVICES USAGE BY LIFE PERIODS AND ESPECIALLY AFTER AGE OF 65
Abstract
The population of economically developed countries is getting older. Due to low natality and prolonged average life span, a percentage of population older than 65 years reaches 15 percent or more. Such demographic trends affect the economic and social conditions of the individual countries as significant changes between active and supported population are apparent. All this leads to the certain economic changes. Consequently, country gross domestic product, purchasing power and population standard are affected. In addition, aging affects also the health needs which increase by age rise. Several studies confirms the fact that population aged above 65 has 2 to 5 times greater needs for health services and financing for their realisation in comparison to the rest of population. It is believed the situation in Slovenia is similar. Based on the aforementioned studies, an increase of older population in Slovenia by 1% means a real increase of financing by 1.5%. What is more, older generation needs also some additional services related to a personal hygiene help, household needs, mobility, etc. Here we are talking about the group of people who are not able to care for themselves independently and need an additional help. They need multiple services which comprise a field of a long term health care. According to the present situation in Slovenia, ZZZS proposes an introduction of a special health insurance for long term health care. This insurance will provide an adequate care and social security for insured persons at their home or at appropriate institutions. It should be a public, obligatory and nonprofit insurance for covering expenses connected with social care and related health services.Downloads
References
Hofmeyer UK, McCarthy TR. Financing health care. Dordrect, Boston, London: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1994.
Mutual Information System on Social Protection in the EU Member States and the EEA. Long-term Care, Luxembourg, 2001.
ECD: OECD Health Data 2003. Credes, Paris 2003.
Toth M. Zdravje, zdravstveno varstvo, zdravstveno zavarovanje. Ljubljana: Knjižnica ZZZS, 2003.
Toth M. Ekonomske dimenzije starosti. Ljubljana: Slovensko zdravniško društvo, 2004.
ZZZS. Možnosti uvedbe zavarovanja za dolgotrajno nego. Projektna naloga. Ljubljana: ZZZS, 2004.
World Health Organisation, Regional Office for Europe. Health ageing home, Kopenhagen, 2003. (www.who.org.dk/eprise /main/WHO/Progs/ HEA/Home, Health Ageing home, 27. 07. 2004)
World Health Organisation, Regional Office for Europe. Ageing and life course. (www.who.int/hpr/international, 22. 07. 2004)
Zavod za zdravstveno zavarovanje Slovenije. Poslovno poročilo 2003. Ljubljana; ZZZS, 2004.
Zavod za zdravstveno zavarovanje Slovenije. Možnosti za uvedbo posebnega zavarovanja za dolgotrajno nego. Projektna naloga. Ljubljana; ZZZS, 2004.
Zdravstveni statistični letopis Slovenija 2002. Ljubljana: Inštitut za varovanje zdravja, 2003.
The Author transfers to the Publisher (Zdravniški vestnik/Slovenian Medical Journal) all economic copyrights following form Article 22 of the Slovene Copyright and Related Rights Act (ZASP), including the right of reproduction, the right of distribution, the rental right, the right of public performance, the right of public transmission, the right of public communication by means of phonograms and videograms, the right of public presentation, the right of broadcasting, the right of rebroadcasting, the right of secondary broadcasting, the right of communication to the public, the right of transformation, the right of audiovisual adaptation and all other rights of the author according to ZASP.
The aforementioned rights are transferred non-exclusively, for an unlimited number of editions, for the term of the statutory
The Author can make use of his work himself or transfer subjective rights to others only after 3 months from date of first publishing in the journal Zdravniški vestnik/Slovenian Medical Journal.
The Publisher (Zdravniški vestnik/Slovenian Medical Journal) has the right to transfer the rights, acquired parties without explicit consent of the Author.
The Author consents that the Article be published under the Creative Commons BY-NC 4.0 (attribution-non-commercial) or comparable licence.