I thank Davey for his letter pointing out the importance of stratification in statistical comparison. However, remoteness stratification was not applied in this health economic assessment1 because the purpose of this study was to estimate the economic burden of Indigenous health inequality in the Northern Territory. This normative analysis hypothesised that urban, rural and remote areas should be treated homogenously in terms of access to public housing, education, primary care, employment and justice.2
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- 1. Zhao Y, Vemuri S, Arya D. The economic benefits of eliminating Indigenous health inequality in the Northern Territory. Med J Aust 2016; 205: 266-269. <MJA full text>
- 2. Culyer AJ. The normative economics of health care finance and provision. Oxford Rev Econ Pol 1989; 5: 34-58.
- 3. Zhao Y, You J, Wright J, et al. Health inequity in the Northern Territory, Australia. Int J Equity Health 2013; 12: 79.
- 4. Milligan V, Phillips R, Easthope H, et al. Urban social housing for Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders: respecting culture and adapting services. AHURI final report; no. 172. Melbourne: Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute; 2011. https://www.ahuri.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0014/2075/AHURI_Final_Report_No172_Urban_social_housing_for_Aboriginal_people_and_Torres_Strait_Islanders_respecting_culture_and_adapting_services.pdf (accessed Oct 2016).
- 5. Acevedo-Garcia D, Lochner KA, Osypuk TL, et al. Future directions in residential segregation and health research: a multilevel approach. Am J Public Health 2003; 93: 215-221.
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