Living Standards Measurements Study - Serbia 2002 - 2007

given significantly more by residents of non urban
areas (9 percent compared to 4 percent), while those
living below the poverty line reported three times
more frequently than the overall population that the
high cost of health services was the reason for not
utilizing these services. A striking difference was
noted between those falling into the poorest and the
richest quintiles (13 percent compared to 1 percent).
In the Roma population, every third ill person (33
percent) did not use health care services due to these
reasons, six times more than in the overall
population. Not having health insurance was a
reason for not using health care services in 2 percent
of the population, and it was twice as frequent
among non-urban residents those living below the
poverty line (4 percent each). In eastern and southeast
Serbia the percentage of non users of health
services are two and three times higher than in other
regions (Graph 6).
Graph 7.6. Ill population that did not use health
services by reason (percent)
No need
Minor disorder,
I treated it
on my own
Minor disorder,
I didn't treat it
Too far
Poor service
Too expensive
No health
insurance
Other
% population
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Total
Rural
Below poverty
line
Although only 1.7 percent of population
reports distance as a reason for not utilizing health
care services the geographic availability of health
care services is, to a large extent, responsible for the
level of health care service availability. In 2006, the
average distance of households in Serbia from a
health care unit was 2.4km, a community health
care centre 5.3km, a hospital 14.6km, and a
pharmacy 3.8km 11 . The data do not significantly
deviate from the data provided in LSMS in 2002.
7.7. Health insurance
In 2007, 6 percent of the population had no
health insurance. The non urban population (10
percent), residents of East and South East Serbia (8
percent and 11 percent) and those living below the
poverty line (14 percent) were very significantly
more likely not have health insurance. There were
17 percent of Roma respondents without health
insurance and 11 percent among the unemployed,
which is significantly more than the average for the
overall population. The percentage of people with
no health insurance among refugees and IDPs was
the same as for the overall population.
The majority of Serbia’s residents were
insured through a supporting member of the family
(30 percent), and then through insurance based on
employment (29 percent). Children up to the age of
14 and adolescents between 15 and 19 years (91
percent and 50 percent) were insured through a
supporting family member. Most of those aged
over 60 years were insured through their pension
(80 percent). Respondents aged between 30 and 59
years (48 percent and 60 percent) were insured
through their employment, while unemployed
people aged between 15 and 44 years (17 percent
and 19 percent) were insured through the
Employment Board.
In 2007, the percentage of uninsured people
was the same as in 2002 (6 percent). There were
also no significant differences in the structure of
health insured population according to the type of
health insurance in comparison with 2002, except in
the group of those insured through another family
member in which the percentage was 3 percentage
points lower (33 percent in 2002 in comparison to
30 percent in 2007).
Health
89