Variations in out-of-pocket spending and factors influencing catastrophic health expenditure of households with patients suffering from chronic conditions in four districts in Sri Lanka

Healthcare financing systems, dependent on out-of-pocket expenditure(OOPE), impose a heavy burden on those who use the services regularly, such as patients suffering from chronic diseases. High OOPE for health services leads to decreased utilization of the services and/or catastrophic health expenditure, which would significantly impede the achievement of Universal Health coverage.