Health insurance in Malta : an alternative to reducing public health waiting lists and the burden from public funds

Abstract

Public Health Waiting Lists have always been an issue amongst the Maltese population. Private health insurance on the other hand, is one of the least sought classes of business due to the free healthcare service in Malta. This study aims at finding a solution to reducing the long public health waiting lists through public-private partnerships, since people with private health insurance would opt to go to private hospitals knowing that the financial cost would be reduced. The author is hypothesising that this would not only reduce the waiting lists, but also the need for more resources and staff to keep up with the high demand for healthcare and reduce the burden from the public funds, as healthcare expenditure would be more dependent on Private health insurance companies.

In order to conduct this study, data was collected through a survey, collecting 392 responses from the general public. The data collected was then analysed to measure the willingness of the population to purchase private health insurance knowing it would reduce waiting lists and the burden from public funds.