Public and Private Roles in Health Care Systems

The 1990s has been a period in which many OECD countries have been reviewing and modifying their health care systems. similar reform proposals are being adopted in a number of counties, including the separation of purchasers from providers, managed care, and managed competition. Considerable attention has been placed on defining appropriate roles, relationships and interfaces among public and private institutions in the funding, purchasing and provision of healthcare. governments are recognizing the growing significance of private sector institutions in achieving public policy strategies and the importance of both the private and public sectors in improving the performance of the health care system. In this book, the author examines both the theory and practice surrounding public and private sector roles in health care systems. the roles of governments and markets are explored in the areas of funding, purchasing, provision and regulation, drawing on the experiences of seven OECD counties: Australia, Canada, germany, Netherlands, New Zealand, US and UK.
Public and private roles and interfaces are discussed in each country and the health system is evaluated in terms of its capacity to achieve the policy goals of efficiency, cost containment, equity and choice. The book highlights critical public policy choices which governments must make as they contemplate alternative policy strategies for health administration, as well as health professionals and policy makers worldwide.