Document Type : Original Article(s)
Authors
Abstract
Introduction: Supplementary health care services are provided to offer health care services beyond existing medical services at a reasonable cost to all members. These supplementary health care services contribute to the health and quality of life of the members and therefore membership provides peace of mind and a sense of security. This study aimed at investigating supplementary health care services packages in selected countries and presenting a model for Iran. Methods: It is a comparative study which was carried out from 1382 to 1383. The countries to be studied were selected based on Garden Division model and Delphi technique was used to present a model for Iran. To collect data, a questionnaire was used. Its validity was approved by experts and test-retest was used to confirm its reliability. Results: The main factor that made people use supplementary health care services was that public health care services do not cover all aspects of health care (89%). Among the organizations responsible for insurance, supreme health council was assigned in charge of approving supplementary health care services (78%). A decentralized organizational structure was proposed executively for supplementary health care systems while they were suggested to be centralized in policy – making and planning (92.5%). Conclusion: Developing a kind of competition between public and private supplementary health care services may have an important role in enhancing the quality of health care services and improving the consumers' satisfaction. Key words: Insurance; Insurance, Hospitalization; Health Services.
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