Health sector solidarity: a core European value but with broadly varying content

Israel Journal of Health Policy Research

Richard B Saltman¹ 

[1]Department of Health Policy and Management, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA

关键词: Austerity;    European values;    Social health insurance;    Solidarity;   

Others  :  1209022
DOI  :  10.1186/2045-4015-4-5

 received in 2014-06-02, accepted in 2015-01-06,  发布年份 2015

【 摘 要 】

Although the concept of solidarity sits at the center of many European health sector debates, the specific groups eligible for coverage, the financing arrangements, and the range of services and benefits that, together, compose the operational content of solidarity have all changed considerably over time. In prior economic periods, solidarity covered considerably fewer services or groups of the population than it does today. As economic and political circumstances changed, the content of solidarity changed with them. Recent examples of these shifts are illustrated through a discussion of health reforms in Netherlands, Germany and also Israel (although not in Europe, the Israeli health system is similar in structure to European social health insurance systems).

This article suggests that changed economic circumstances in Europe since the onset of the 2008 financial crisis may lead to re-configuring the scope and content of services covered by solidarity in many European health systems. A key issue for policymakers will be protecting vulnerable populations as this re-design occurs.

【 授权许可】

   
2015 Saltman; licensee BioMed Central.

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