Welfare, Choice, and Consistency in the Reform of Health Departments in Eastern European Countries

Author: Janosch Unsheng and
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-05-01
Features: For all countries transitioning from a socialist central planning economy to a market economy, the reform of the welfare sector is both a formidable challenge and indeed crucial. This book offers advice and guidance for the health sector reforms of ten Eastern European countries, providing nine universally applicable guiding principles. The authors discuss the specific characteristics of the sector, international experiences and lessons learned, as well as the main initial conditions, and primarily focus on reforms in the following areas: supporting basic healthcare with organized public finance, supporting supplementary healthcare with private funds, and providing diversified services and managed competition. At the same time, policymakers must seek a balance to ensure social cohesion through the comprehensive provision of basic healthcare services, while expanding individual choice and reinforcing individual responsibility through voluntary supplementary insurance. The authors also examine the issue of effective competition within the health sector.