Prague Economic Papers 2005, 14(1):64-81 | DOI: 10.18267/j.pep.253

Social Health Insurance and Its Failures in the Czech Republic and Slovakia: The Role of the State

Jozef Medveď1, Juraj Nemec1, Leoš Vítek2
1 Matej Bel University, Faculty of Finance, Cesta na amifiteáter 1, SK - 974 01 Banská Bystrica (e-mail: jozef.medved@umb.sk; juraj.nemec@umb.sk).
2 Ministry of Finance of the Czech Republic, Letenská 15, CZ - 118 10 Prague 1 (e-mail: leos.vitek@mfcr.cz).

Health care reforms in the Czech Republic and in Slovakia are based on the implementation of market-based instruments into the system, namely on privatization and health insurance. Such changes, especially the change of the system of financing of health care from ""socialist"" taxation-based system to ""modern"" insurance-based one, were supported by many arguments, showing expected positive outcomes. However, after more than ten years from starting the change, health care system performance criteria in both countries have not been improved as expected. In our paper we try to examine some potential purposes of such trends, with focus on rhetoric and reality of potential of health insurance to improve the performance of health systems in transitional countries.

Keywords: Czech Republic, health reform, health insurance, performance of health care system, Slovakia
JEL classification: I11, I18

Published: January 1, 2005  Show citation

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Medveď, J., Nemec, J., & Vítek, L. (2005). Social Health Insurance and Its Failures in the Czech Republic and Slovakia: The Role of the State. Prague Economic Papers, 14(1), 64-81. doi: 10.18267/j.pep.253
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