Data sources
A series of Health and Welfare Surveys (HWS) was used
from 2003, one year following the nationwide implemen-
tation of UCS to the most recent year in 2009, noting
that HWS was conducted every year for five years
between 2003 and 2007 and thereafter every two years in
2008 and beyond. The HWS is a structured household
interview survey on illnesses and health service utilization
of approximately 70 thousand individuals from nationally
representative households. The Survey used to be con-
ducted every five years before the UCS period by the
National Statistical Office (NSO). Unfortunately prior to
the advent of UCS in 2002, a number of key variables in
the HWS were missing, notably quantification of health
service utilization, health payments and economic status
of the interviewees and households.
A one-month recalling period for non-hospitalized and
one year for hospitalized illn
esses were app
lied. Choices
for the ambulatory care for the last illness episode
include the whole range of providers not covered by UCS
such as self medication, herbal medicine and traditional
healers as well as health facilities covered by UC such as
health centres, district hospitals, provincial hospitals, uni-
versity hospitals, other government hospitals, private
clinics and hospitals. Choices of the hospitalization
include both public and private hospitals excluding
health centres and private clinics which do not provide
inpatient services. Out-of-pocket payments by household
members for each OP visit and IP admission were asked
in monetary terms.