OBJECTIVES: Barriers on healthcare access can cause a welfare loss to patients in need of care. The value of the loss depends on the severity of the illness and its effect on the patients’ wellbeing and ability to work. Previous empirical studies have examined the access to healthcare from the organizational viewpoint, focusing for example on the number of doctors or waiting times. In this study, we aim at monetizing the welfare loss from patients’ perspective.

METHODS: We used European Social Survey 2014 data from Finland. Questions on overall life satisfaction (question B20) and whether person has had problems on receiving healthcare s/he has felt s/he needs (question E14) during the past year were used in the empirical analysis. Our analysis concentrated on persons not receiving healthcare due to external causes. Household income was measured using monthly net equivalent household income. In addition, sex, age, relationship status, self-assessed health and school years were added as control variables to empirical models.

The relationships between wellbeing, income and healthcare access barriers were analyzed using the wellbeing valuation method developed to measure the monetary value of non-marketable goods. We used a regression model to calculate the marginal rate of substitution between income and restricted access to healthcare. In our model, the marginal rate of substitution expresses the income compensation needed to compensate for the restricted healthcare access.

RESULTS: There was statistically significant difference in life satisfaction (p=0.0001) and incomes (p=0.0012) between the groups who had and had not received healthcare they need. The monetized value of the welfare loss due to healthcare access barriers was 1295 euros (p=0.01).

CONCLUSIONS: Wellbeing valuation method is suitable for analyzing welfare loss due to healthcare access barriers and it gives a plausible estimate for welfare loss from patients’ perspective.