Equity in the Finance and Delivery of Health Care

This volume presents the results of research which represent a significant contribution to the knowledge of equity in the finance and delivery of health care in ten countries. It compares the experience of nine European countries and the US using a consistent methodology to draw out comparable results from ten very different health care systems.

Such an approach facilitates not only a greater understanding of the performance of the health care systems of other countries but also the identification of the lessons that can be learnt from international comparisons. In recent years it has been recognized that many health and health care problems are similar across many countries and their solution can be usefuly informed by the abandonment both of isolation and the belief that an individual country's problems are unique.

The contents of this book demonstrate that given efficient research teams, research funding can produce both significant new knowledge of direct relevance to the reform of health care systems world-wide, and also collaborative, mutually informative work between Europeans and others living outside the EEC.

Readership: Health economics researchers and policy-makers. Medical practitioners.

Edited by Eddy van Doorslaer, Lecturer in Health Economics, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, Adam Wagstaff, Lecturer in Economics, School of Sciences, University of Sussex, and Frans Rutten, Professor of Health Economics and Medical Technology Assessment, Erasmus University, Rotterdam

"`This book presents many useful data including detailed information on health, health services, and finance. Well referenced, and providing an excellent bibliography, it reports good research by competent people, and the findings are generally interesting.' British Medical Journal"

""This volume presents the reults of research which has been facilitated by funding from the European Community and it represents a significant contribution to knowledge about equity in the finance and delivery of health care in 10 countries. It compares the experiences of nine European countries and hte US using a consistent methodology so as to draw out comparable results from 10 very different health care systems, e.g. Denmark; France; Ireland; Italy; the Netherlands; Portugal; Spain; Switzerland; United Kingdom; United States." European Healthcare Management Association Newsletter, July 1993."

"'a coherent and cohesive piece of work and a must for anyone interested in either the principles or the practice of equity in health care ... I would hope that this book will not only be read by many but that the efforts of the editors and the contributors in providing such a useful set of readings will be rewarded in having policy makers devoting more of their efforts to the pursuit of equity in health care - however they choose to define it.' Gavin Mooney, University of Aberdeen, Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, Vol 47, No 4, August 1993"

"'The book presents many useful data - including detailed information on health, health services, and finance. Well referenced, and providing an excellent bibliography, it reports good research by competent people; and the findings are generally interesting.' Charles Norman, London Shool of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, BMJ, Volume 307, 1993"

Part I: Equity in the Finance and Delivery of Health Care: An Overview
1: Concepts and definitions
2: Methods and findings
3: Policy implications of the project
Part II: Equity in the Finance and Delivery of Health Care in Ten Countries
4: Denmark
5: France
6: Ireland
7: Italy
8: The Netherlands
9: Portugal
10: Spain
11: Switzerland
12: United Kingdom
13: United States
Part III: Reflections on Equity in Health Care
14: Equity in health care: the role of ideology
15: Health, health expenditures and equity
16: Equity and health care policy: the American experience
17: Equity in the distribution of health care: the British debate
18: Equity in health care and health care financing: evidence from five developing countries