This paper provides an institutional analysis concerning the current problems of the health care systems based on obligatory health insurance. In the beginning there are correctly defined and further described some particular principles creating the essence of the continental health care...

Health insurance affects the rate at which individuals visit hospitals and emergency departments (EDs). We identify the causal effect of losing health insurance using a regression discontinuity design. We compare individuals just before and after their twenty third birthday, which insurers have...

This paper analyses possible options how to improve the risk adjustment of the health insurance system in the Czech Republic. From the possible options it argues for including pharmaceutical cost groups (PCGs) as additional risk factors since it is an improvement that can be implemented almost...

In times of increasing health care expenditure and insufficient cover provided by publicly financed health systems additional, alternative methods of health care financing become more and more considerable. The purpose of the paper is to present the concept of Medical Savings Accounts (MSAs) and...

We use the 2003/2004 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey in conjunction with the 2002 National Health Interview Survey to test for adverse selection in the private U.S. health insurance markets. The key idea is to test whether individuals who are more exposed to health risks also buy insurance...

The share of privately paid medical care is steadily increasing. Polish patients pay immediately for single services and may also privately conclude the contracts for medical insurance or subscription (steady access to complex private medical care). The aim of this paper is to draw the...

The Asia-Pacific region is confronted with several emerging healthrelated issues. The prevalence of diseases causing high rates of mortality and morbidity, and the lack of skilled health personnel, infrastructure, financial resources and health systems that are responsive to the needs of...

With its transition to a market-oriented economy, China has gone through significant changes in health care delivery and financing systems in the last three decades. Since 1998, a new public health insurance program for urban employees, called Basic Medical Insurance Program (BMI), has been...

We use the 2003/2004 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey in conjunction with the 2002 National Health Interview Survey to test for adverse selection in the private U.S. health insurance markets. The key idea is to test whether individuals who are more exposed to health risks also buy insurance...

The German health care reform implemented in 2009 led to a considerable increase in price transparency within the statutory health insurance (SHI) (Gesetzliche Krankenversicherung, GKV) system and also made it more consumer-friendly which, in turn, has encouraged policy holders to react to price...