Determinants Of Catastrophic Health Expenditures In Ukraine Before The Full-Scale War

In the last year before the full-scale invasion, almost all Ukrainian households had health expenditures with a median amount of $111 per year. Depending on the definition, 2.2% to 12.6% of households experienced catastrophic health spending. Although some findings align with previous literature (e.g., private provider visits increase the probability of catastrophic spending), the insignificance of many socio-economic factors is surprising. However, the situation likely worsened after the full-scale Russian aggression, with informal payments remaining high, especially in the war-affected regions. Thus, focus on catastrophic health spending should remain a priority in Ukraine’s future reconstruction.