Is a Flat-Line a Good Thing? On the Privatization of Israel's Healthcare System

Israel presents an intriguing conundrum: on the one hand, it provides quality healthcare in a near-universal healthcare system; on the other, it has maintained healthcare costs level at approximately 7.7% of GDP. This comes at a time when all western nations struggle with one or both sides of the equation: how to offer affordable, good quality health care to the population while curbing the sharp rise in health related costs. This paper explains both how Israel has achieved this "flat line" effect and the social and political costs of this achievement