Abstract

This paper investigates the mathematical modeling and empirical assessment of reference pricing as a cost-containment tool in health care delivery for marginalized communities (SC, ST, and OBC) in East Medinipur, and compares levels of health literacy between females and males within these groups. Using a cross-sectional household survey (n = 720) stratified by community and gender, we apply descriptive statistics, hypothesis testing (t-test, chi-square), and regression modeling to (a) measure the impact of implementing a reference pricing scheme on out-of-pocket (OOP) expenditure and service choice, and (b) test for statistically significant differences in health literacy scores between genders. Results show that reference pricing—modeled as a cap on reimbursement for selected services—reduces mean OOP by an estimated 18% (p < .01) without large reductions in utilization, while health literacy scores are significantly lower among females than males (mean difference = 6.3 points on a 100-point scale; t = 5.12, p < .001). Policy implications and limitations are discussed.

Author

Niranjan Kumar Mishra, Nabarun Sahu   ( Pages 272-284 )
Email:nirkm1983@gmail.com
Affiliation: Department of Mathematics, RKDF University Ranchi       DOI: https://doi.org/10.58517/ITMSC.2025.18212

Keyword

Reference pricing, health literacy, tribal communities, SC/ST/OBC, East Medinipur, out-of-pocket expenditure, gender comparison, regression analysis.

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