Background
This article analyses socioeconomic differences in the use of general practitioner (GP) and specialty care services for the elderly.
Data and Methods
The analysis is based on the first two waves of German data of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) for the years 2004 and 2006. Data from 2,861 respondents aged 50 years or more are used. The analysis distinguishes between the overall probability of a GP and specialty care visit (contact) and the frequency of contact. Probit models are used to identify the determinants of contacting a GP or specialist and count models are applied to analyze the determinants of contact frequency.
Results
The regression results show that members of lower social classes, with the same medical need, are less likely to contact a specialist compared to persons with a relatively high social status. In contrast, people with low socioeconomic status are more likely to contact a family doctor than those with a high social status. Regarding contact frequency, members of lower social classes, with the same medical need, have a significantly lower number of specialist contacts compared to persons with a relatively high social status.