Public and Private Sector Relationships in Long-term Care and Healthcare Insurance

The importance of having access to care options and being able to finance this has been laid bare through the experience of the COVID-19 health emergency. While most countries have public options for long-term care and health care, these are not always comprehensive and may not support the needs of the community. Having long-term and health care options that are affordable are important public policy considerations, especially when ageing is affecting many OECD countries and morbidity is impacting health outcomes. Private insurance can extend care options, and provide additional services that may not always be available through the public sector. However, insurance is not uniformly offered across countries, especially given the differences in the public system, and the manner in which it is made available will differ as well.This report examines selected countries that have characteristics in their long-term care and/or healthcare system, which may facilitate the use of private insurance to support the provision of public health and long-term care services.