Inequality in the sphere of health: the case of Russia
Inequality in the sphere of health: the case of Russia

Summary/Abstract: The inequality in the sphere of health is shown in indicators: life expectancy, the perceived level of the health, expenses on health care, medical insurance, suicides which have to be considered in cuts of gender and age, social and demographic, financial and material, imperious and status groups from the highest to the lowest classes. The analysis of these indicators has scientific value in comparison of a set of the countries in long periods. Strong economic growth is a necessary condition for financing of redistribution measures in the health sphere and the income strengthening in the lower part social striations of public distribution. For example, higher expenses on health care per capita, as a rule, is associated from higher remaining life expectancy at the birth. However now the main reason for the proceeding discussion about an inequality is in the sphere of health that fight against poverty and an inequality are interfaced to difficulties when economic growth is weak. In economic sociology the specified problem found reflection in Weber's works in his concept unequal "vital chances"; a phenomenon of the uneven distribution of advantages designated by Merton as Matfey's effect; in Sztompka's terminology as emergence of strong elite privileges hierarchy and deprivations poor concerning access to the desirable benefits and values, including health. The article assesses the dynamics of health expenditure for all sources of their funding as an investment in human capital over the period 1995-2013 the data of the comparative analysis of expenditures for these purposes in Russia and other countries. The article considers the questions of efficiency of functioning of the health system, the differentiation of the population on the availability and quality of health services.

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