Author: Law, Tin-sing Vincent
Title: Factors affecting the support for medical savings accounts in Hong Kong
Degree: D.B.A.
Year: 2005
Subject: Hong Kong Polytechnic University -- Dissertations
Medical savings accounts -- China -- Hong Kong
Medical care -- China -- Hong Kong -- Cost control
Department: Graduate School of Business
Pages: x, 252 leaves : ill. ; 30 cm.
Language: English
Abstract: Having demonstrated the lack of comprehensive researches that are applicable to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on medical savings accounts (MSA) in the literatures or the diversity of opinions amongst major stakeholders of MSA scheme in the local context, this thesis reports the findings of a qualitative and quantitative study of the factors affecting the support for MSA scheme in the HKSAR. Focusing on content analysis of opinions obtained from multiple focus group and in-depth interview sessions, building up consensus amongst the permanent residents using the Delphi technique, and multiple regression analysis, the findings identify eleven factors affecting the support for MSA scheme in the HKSAR. This thesis also identifies three sets of moderation and one set of mediating effect between the variables, as well as proposes a conceptual map depicting the relations between the identified factors and the support for MSA scheme. Four predisposing characteristics (Age, Past Illness History, Employment, and Household Income) and one enabling resources (Household Income) of the Andersen's Behavioral Model of Health Services Use (Andersen, 1968), two self-interest motives (Cost and Choice) and four altruistic motives (Citizenship, Horizontal Equity, Intergenerational Equity, and Vertical Equity) of the Public Choice Theory affect the support for MSA scheme in the HKSAR. The best predictors of support are Citizenship, Horizontal Equity, Intergenerational Equity, and Employment. The moderating effect of Employment on the Choice -MSA Support and Horizontal Equity-MSA Support relationships, as well as Attitude Toward Self-health on the Intergenerational Equity-MSA Support relationship are presented. The mediation of Horizontal Equity on the Household Income-MSA Support relationship is also presented. Although it is commonly held that the self-interests of an individual would dominate in the event of a conflict between self-interests and public interests, the permanent residents of the HKSAR demonstrate their altruistic support for MSA scheme through a discharge of citizen responsibilities, as well as the appreciation of horizontal equity and intergenerational equity rather than self-interests. This study attempts to serve as valuable public policy guidance for the interested parties of healthcare financing in the HKSAR.
Rights: All rights reserved
Access: restricted access

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Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://theses.lib.polyu.edu.hk/handle/200/5552