We use the 2004 and 2009 Cambodia Socio-Economic Surveys to measure the impact of
user fees, health equity funds, the government health subsidy scheme, vouchers and various
combinations of these policies on household health spending. Employing a difference-indifferences
estimator and a two part model, we fi nd that health equity funds and vouchers
help to reduce household health spending whereas user fees and the government health
subsidy scheme are unlikely to reduce household health spending as was originally designed.
Continuation and expansion of health equity funds and voucher schemes is defi nitely crucial
for Cambodia. The results also highlight the need for further policy-relevant research to
improve the effectiveness of user fees and the government health subsidy scheme.