Health care spending in the new EU member states : controlling costs and improving quality / Mukesh Chawla.

Format:

Book

Government document

Author/Creator:

Chawla, Mukesh.

Series:

World Bank working paper ; no. 113.

World Bank working paper ; no. 113

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Medical economics--European Union countries.

Medical economics.

European Union countries.

Physical Description:

xi, 55 pages : illustrations ; 26 cm.

Place of Publication:

Washington, D.C. : World Bank, [2007]

Summary:

Health Care Spending in the New EU Member States is part of the World Bank Working Paper series. These papers are published to communicate the results of the Bank's ongoing research and to stimulate public discussion. Following the transition from central planning toward market-based economies, the formerly communist states of Central and Eastern Europe introduced a number of reforms in the finance, management, and organization of the health sector. While health sector reforms in these countries have involved deep structural changes, they have generally been less successful in improving efficiency, enhancing equity in healthcare financing and delivery, and managing clinical quality of health services. Total health expenditures have increased in almost all countries, especially in recent years, and with revenues not keeping pace, huge debts have accumulated in the health sector. Efficiency gains have been few and far between, and with the dynamic nature of technology and demographic changes increasing the complexity of health services and the health marketplace, further reforms are becoming even more difficult.

This report takes stock of recent trends in health expenditure aggregates in the public sector and identifies specific areas of health expenditure reform consistent with the objectives of stabilizing the fiscal situation in these countries (the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia) without adversely affecting the production, delivery and utilization of health services.

Contents:

2 Health Expenditures 7

3 Health Sector Deficits and Debts 13

Hungary 13

Slovakia 14

Poland 14

Czech Republic 15

Lithuania 16

4 Key Expenditure Areas in the Health Sector 17

Pharmaceutical Costs 17

Hospital Infrastructure 20

Salaries of Medical Personnel 20

5 Spending on Aging Populations and Medical Technology 25

Aging Populations 25

Medical Technology 27

6 Directions for Further Reform 31

Managing Pharmaceutical Expenditures 33

Rationalizing the Benefit Package 37

Introducing Private Insurance 37

Greater Individual Responsibility in Managing Own Health 43

Reducing Hospital Infrastructure 45.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 51-55).

ISBN:

9780821371510

0821371517

9780821371527

0821371525

OCLC:

159933492