Most of the literature devoted to utilization of maternal health care generally provides information on the level of maternal care used and ignore the equity problem. Research in this area should focus not only on the level of maternal care used but also on the most disadvantaged segments of the population in terms of utilization of maternal care in order to reach the set targets.

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The aim of this study is to investigate the equity phenomenon, which can be defined as an equal treatment for equal need irrespective of socioeconomic status, in the utilization of health care services in Turkey (for outpatient and in-patient treatment services, separately) in the context of the behavioral model. We have used the "Health Surveys" obtained from the Turkish Statistical Institute for 2010, 2012 and 2014. The equity phenomenon and the determinants of the health care utilization are investigated by using the probit model. The findings indicate that the need variable has the largest marginal effect in magnitude for all types of health care. This implies that the health system structure in Turkey is based on need and, therefore, equity exists in the utilization of health care services. We have also found that health insurance has the second largest marginal effect after the need variable. This means that policy makers should focus on enabling factors, especially the coverage of health insurance and the level of income to increase health care utilization of the disadvantaged segments of the population.

Background: Equity in the use of health care services is an issue which has increasingly been on the health policy agenda over recent years in both middle-and low-income countries. Aims: The purpose of this study was to investigate the degree and progress of equity in health care utilization in Turkey during 2008-2012. Methods: Wed use data from health surveys (2008, 2010, 2012) conducted by the Turkish Statistical Institute. The concentration index (CI) and the horizontal equity index (HI) were calculated as a measure of equity, and a Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition analysis was applied. Results: The general practitioner (GP), specialist and inpatient visits display a pro-poor orientation. Averages of the CI and HI indices for 2008-2012 were 0.74 and-0.17 for GP visits, 0.75 and-0.13 for specialist visits, 0.83 and-0.31 for inpatient visits. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that health care utilization in Turkey appears to have become equitable over the years; however, the sustainability of equity is an issue of concern.