Assessment of the Economic Cost of Alternative Medicine

Abstract

This research aimed to assess the economic cost of alternative medicine. The research hypotheses stated that the direct cost for patients with shoulder ache, backache, knee ache, paresis, and paralysis was higher than the indirect cost. The study employed the human capital using prevalence approach. The results showed that the direct cost for patients with the listed conditions was higher than the indirect cost because most of the direct cost involved expenses related to medical care, food, accommodation, and travel. The study’s findings also revealed that expenses for patients from non-local districts were usually higher than those from the local area, and most patients had an education at a lower level than bachelor degree, meaning they had low or no incomes. The indirect cost was relatively low and the cost of travel and waiting for medical care was not higher than expected