Účelnost preventivních programů zdravotních pojišťoven

Abstract

Preventive programs offered by health insurance companies can contribute to improving the population's health status, reducing future treatment costs, and enhancing the performance of the healthcare system. The aim of this thesis is to evaluate the purposefulness and technical efficiency of expenditures by health insurance companies on preventive programs during the period 2018 to 2022. The analysis is conducted on three levels: a comparative analysis of per capita prevention expenditures, an assessment of technical efficiency using the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) method with two input-oriented models, and a questionnaire survey among university students focusing on their awareness and utilization of preventive benefits. The results indicate that differences in prevention spending among health insurance companies do exist; however, the size of the insurer is not a determining factor. More significant influences include the composition of the insured population, communication strategies, and the ability to motivate clients. The DEA analysis showed that expenditures on preventive programs may have a partial impact on technical efficiency, particularly in terms of overall technical efficiency (CRS), with more pronounced effects observed only in selected insurers. For the majority of entities, however, this influence was negligible or non-existent. The questionnaire survey also pointed to low student awareness of available preventive programs and barriers to their use. The thesis thus highlights the untapped potential of prevention in the young population and formulates recommendations for improving the targeting, promotion, and financial motivation of preventive programs within the public health insurance system.