Towards An Egalitarian Health Co-Participation Formula in the Buenos Aires Province: A Mathematical Programming Approach

DURAND GUILLERMO A.; LAGO, FERNANDO; BLANCO ANÍBAL M.; MOSCOSO, NEBEL; BANDONI J. ALBERTO

Conferencia; XLVII Reunión Anual ASOCIACION ARGENTINA DE ECONOMIA POLITICA; 2012

ASOCIACION ARGENTINA DE ECONOMIA POLITICA

This paper  inquires whether a change  in  the weights of  the variables currently used  in  the Buenos  Aires  Province  health  co-participation  formula  could  lead  to  a  more  egalitarian allocation  of  financial  resources  between  the municipalities with  devolved  health  services. We  study  the  determination  of  the  optimal weights  of  the  variables  included  in  the  current distribution  formula using a mathematical programming approach. We develop  two different models, which differ in the way the equality objective is defined. Previous results indicate that substantial increases in equality could be achieved.