Distribution of total expenditure on health by health institutions in Sichuan province, 2002 to 2012

Objective To estimate the amount of total expenditure on health(TEH)and its allocation among health institutions in Sichuan province from 2002 to 2012 and to provide references for making policies on health resource allocation.Methods TEH by health institutions method was used to estimate the distribution of TEH in Sichuan province,and the change trend in THE distribution was analyzed.Results The TEH allocated to health institutions in 2012 was 149.80 billions Yuan RMB and those allocated to hospitals and public health facilities were 97.20 billions Yuan RMB and 12.57 billions Yuan RMB,accounting for 64.88% and 8.39% of the TEH,respectively.For THE allocated to the hospitals,47.38% were distributed to the hospitals in urban areas,18.03% to town hospitals,and 2.54% to community health centers.The average growth rate of TEH was 21.48% and the average growth rate of THE allocated to hospitals,drug retail facilities,and public health facilities were 17.43%,24.45%,and 19.60%,respectively.Conclusion For THE allocation in Sichuan province,the important task is to optimize resources allocation to primary health care institutions and investment for public health programs should be increased.