| Titre | A look at private health care insurance in the European Union | |
|---|---|---|
| Auteur | Lewalle Henri | |
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Revue | Revue française des Affaires sociales |
| Numéro | no 6, 2006 Reforms and regulation of health care systems in Europe | |
| Rubrique / Thématique | Regulating health care systems: reconciling quality and cost? |
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| Page | 133-157 | |
| Résumé anglais |
The health care systems that have been developed in the EU share common values and principles which constitute the “European social model”. They are structured upon the logic of Bismarckian or Beveridgean solidarity and cover the entire population. For two decades, they have been confronted with a strong growth in health care expenditure, given the evolution of medical practices, which are more and more costly, the growth in demand for care and demographic ageing. By adopting measures to control expenditure, European countries have increased patients' participation in costs, consequently increasing the need for complementary health insurance to cover the “remaining costs” or to access private care. Notwithstanding, private health care insurance only fulfils a secondary function. The scope of compulsory protection and the manner in which it is organised fundamentally determines the demand for and forms of private protection. Generally, this develops where there are gaps in social coverage. Commercial and non-commercial players have traditionally operated in different segments of the market. However, the widening of the field and the European integration process have modified their strategies. Tension has surfaced and conflicts have developed, creating a need for regulation. It appears that only the European Union is in a position to undertake this task at a time when many member states are devising scenarios for threetier protection within a context of fragmentation of social protection. Source : Éditeur (via Cairn.info) |
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| Article en ligne | http://www.cairn.info/article.php?ID_ARTICLE=RFAS_EN606_0133 |
