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Achieving Better Value for Money in Health Care

Rising public health care spending remains a problem in virtually all OECD and EU member countries. As a consequence, there is growing interest in policies that will ease this pressure through improved health system performance. This report examines selected policies that may help countries better achieve the goal of improved health system efficiency and thus better value for money. Drawing on multinational data sets and case studies, it examines a range policy instruments. These include: the role of competition in health markets; the scope for improving care coordination; better pharmaceutical pricing policies; greater quality control supported by stronger information and communication technology in health care; and increased cost sharing.

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Publication Date :: 02 Nov 2009
DOI :: 10.1787/9789264074231-en

Chapter

The Impact of User Charges in Health Care

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Authors:: Peter C. Smith


Pages :: 151–163
DOI :: 10.1787/9789264074231-7-en

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This chapter examines current reliance of OECD countries on cost sharing and user charges in health care. It then looks at some European policy innovations and reviews some important results from the RAND health insurance experiment in the United States using variable levels of user charges. The chapter concludes with comments on the future role of user charges in developed health systems.

Also available in: French