Voluntary Health Insurance in Europe: Country Experience

Voluntary Health Insurance in Europe: Country Experience PDF Author: Sagan A.
Publisher: World Health Organization
ISBN: 9289050373
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 163

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Book Description
No two markets for voluntary health insurance (VHI) are identical. All differ in some way because they are heavily shaped by the nature and performance of publicly financed health systems and by the contexts in which they have evolved. This volume contains short structured profiles of markets for VHI in 34 countries in Europe. These are drawn from European Union member states plus Armenia Iceland Georgia Norway the Russian Federation Switzerland and Ukraine. The book is aimed at policy-makers and researchers interested in knowing more about how VHI works in practice in a wide range of contexts. Each profile written by one or more local experts identifies gaps in publicly-financed health coverage describes the role VHI plays outlines the way in which the market for VHI operates summarises public policy towards VHI including major developments over time and highlights national debates and challenges. The book is part of a study on VHI in Europe prepared jointly by the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies and the WHO Regional Office for Europe. A companion volume provides an analytical overview of VHI markets across the 34 countries.

Voluntary Health Insurance in Europe: Country Experience

Voluntary Health Insurance in Europe: Country Experience PDF Author: Sagan A.
Publisher: World Health Organization
ISBN: 9289050373
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 163

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Book Description
No two markets for voluntary health insurance (VHI) are identical. All differ in some way because they are heavily shaped by the nature and performance of publicly financed health systems and by the contexts in which they have evolved. This volume contains short structured profiles of markets for VHI in 34 countries in Europe. These are drawn from European Union member states plus Armenia Iceland Georgia Norway the Russian Federation Switzerland and Ukraine. The book is aimed at policy-makers and researchers interested in knowing more about how VHI works in practice in a wide range of contexts. Each profile written by one or more local experts identifies gaps in publicly-financed health coverage describes the role VHI plays outlines the way in which the market for VHI operates summarises public policy towards VHI including major developments over time and highlights national debates and challenges. The book is part of a study on VHI in Europe prepared jointly by the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies and the WHO Regional Office for Europe. A companion volume provides an analytical overview of VHI markets across the 34 countries.

Voluntary Health Insurance in Europe: Role and Regulation

Voluntary Health Insurance in Europe: Role and Regulation PDF Author: Sagan A.
Publisher: World Health Organization
ISBN: 9289050381
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 136

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Book Description
If public resources were unlimited there would be no gaps in health coverage and no real need for VHI. However most health systems face fiscal constraints and VHI is often seen as a way to address these pressures. This study draws from the experiences of 34 countries to assess VHI s contribution to health spending and to understand its role in Europe and in relation to publicly financed coverage. It looks at who sells VHI who purchases it and why. It also reviews public policy towards VHI at national and EU levels and the related national policy debates. The analysis shows that while the different markets for VHI vary considerably in size operation and regulation the vast majority are small. Where there are substantial markets these tend to be the oldest ones having a tradition of non-profit insurers and to be the most heavily regulated to ensure VHI policies are accessible and affordable. The study also suggests that VHI is normally a better way of meeting population health needs than out-of-pocket payments although there are notable exceptions. VHI can contribute to financial protection especially where it plays a substitutive and complementary role covering co-payments. However it is a complex challenging and highly context-specific policy instrument that may undermine other health system goals including equitable access efficiency transparency and accountability even where markets are well regulated. Policy-makers should therefore exercise real caution before expanding VHI to fill coverage gaps. This volume and its companion set of country profiles were developed jointly by the Observatory s LSE hub and the WHO Regional Office for Europe. The study draws on contributions from national experts from the EU EFTA and other countries in Europe.

Assuring the Quality of Health Care in the European Union

Assuring the Quality of Health Care in the European Union PDF Author: Helena Legido-Quigley
Publisher: World Health Organization
ISBN: 9289071931
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 242

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Book Description
People have always travelled within Europe for work and leisure, although never before with the current intensity. Now, however, they are travelling for many other reasons, including the quest for key services such as health care. Whatever the reason for travelling, one question they ask is "If I fall ill, will the health care I receive be of a high standard?" This book examines, for the first time, the systems that have been put in place in all of the European Union's 27 Member States. The picture it paints is mixed. Some have well developed systems, setting standards based on the best available evidence, monitoring the care provided, and taking action where it falls short. Others need to overcome significant obstacles.

Impact of Health Insurance in Low- and Middle-income Countries

Impact of Health Insurance in Low- and Middle-income Countries PDF Author: Maria-Luisa Escobar
Publisher: Brookings Institution Press
ISBN: 0815705468
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 239

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Book Description
Over the past twenty years, many low- and middle-income countries have experimented with health insurance options. While their plans have varied widely in scale and ambition, their goals are the same: to make health services more affordable through the use of public subsidies while also moving care providers partially or fully into competitive markets. Until now, however, we have known little about the actual effects of these dramatic policy changes. Understanding the impact of health insurance-based care is key to the public policy debate of whether to extend insurance to low-income populationsand if so, how to do itor to serve them through other means.

Implementing Health Financing Reform

Implementing Health Financing Reform PDF Author: Joseph Kutzin
Publisher: Observatory Studies
ISBN:
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 438

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Book Description
Analyses the experience with the financing reforms implemented by the countries of Central Europe, Eastern Europe, the Cauxasus and Central Asia.

Social Health Insurance for Developing Nations

Social Health Insurance for Developing Nations PDF Author: R. Paul Shaw
Publisher: World Bank Publications
ISBN: 0821369504
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 188

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Book Description
Specialist groups have often advised health ministers and other decision makers in developing countries on the use of social health insurance (SHI) as a way of mobilizing revenue for health, reforming health sector performance, and providing universal coverage. This book reviews the specific design and implementation challenges facing SHI in low- and middle-income countries and presents case studies on Ghana, Kenya, Philippines, Colombia, and Thailand.

Voluntary Health Insurance in the European Union

Voluntary Health Insurance in the European Union PDF Author: Elias Mossialos
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : EU
Languages : en
Pages : 212

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Book Description


Price Setting and Price Regulation in Health Care

Price Setting and Price Regulation in Health Care PDF Author: OECD
Publisher: OECD Publishing
ISBN: 9264508864
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 298

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Book Description
The objectives of this study are to describe experiences in price setting and how pricing has been used to attain better coverage, quality, financial protection, and health outcomes. It builds on newly commissioned case studies and lessons learned in calculating prices, negotiating with providers, and monitoring changes. Recognising that no single model is applicable to all settings, the study aimed to generate best practices and identify areas for future research, particularly in low- and middle-income settings. The report and the case studies were jointly developed by the OECD and the WHO Centre for Health Development in Kobe (Japan).

Private Voluntary Health Insurance in Development

Private Voluntary Health Insurance in Development PDF Author: Alexander S. Preker
Publisher: World Bank Publications
ISBN: 0821366203
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 460

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Book Description
Private voluntary health insurance already plays an important role in the health sector of many low and middle income countries. The book reviews the context under which private insurance could contribute to an improvement in the financial sustainability of the health sector, financial protection against the costs of illness, household income smoothing, access to care, and market productivity. This volume is the third in aseries of in-depth reviews of the role of health care financing in providing access for low-income populations to needed healthcare, protecting them from the impoverishing effects of illness, and addressing the important issues of social exclusion in government financed programs.

Organization and Financing of Public Health Services in Europe

Organization and Financing of Public Health Services in Europe PDF Author: Rechel B.
Publisher: World Health Organization
ISBN: 9289051728
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 161

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Book Description
How are public health services in Europe organized and financed? With European health systems facing a plethora of challenges that can be addressed through public health interventions there is renewed interest in strengthening public health services. Yet there are enormous gaps in our knowledge. How many people work in public health? How much money is spent on public health? What does it actually achieve? None of these questions can be answered easily. This volume brings together current knowledge on the organization and financing of public health services in Europe. It is based on country reports on the organization and financing of public health services in nine European countries and an in-depth analysis of the involvement of public health services in addressing three contemporary public health challenges (alcohol obesity and antimicrobial resistance). The focus is on four core dimensions of public health services: organization financing the public health workforce and quality assurance. The questions the volume seeks to answer are: o How are public health services in Europe organized? Are there good practices that can be emulated? What policy options are available? o How much is spent on public health services? Where do resources come from? And what was the impact of the economic crisis? o What do we know about the public health workforce? How can it be strengthened? o How is the quality of public health services being assured? What should quality assurance systems for public health services look like? This study is the result of close collaboration between the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies and the WHO Regional Office for Europe Division of Health Systems and Public Health. It accompanies two other Observatory publications: Organization and financing of public health services in Europe: country reports and The role of public health organizations in addressing public health problems in Europe: the case of obesity alcohol and antimicrobial resistance.