Healthcare systems. A new European model?

For almost 2 decades, the European nations have witnessed a continuous cycle of healthcare reform policies. Although each of these efforts to craft new public policy has been tailored to fit the specific political, social and cultural circumstances of each country, there are many striking similarities among these attempts to reduce costs while preserving the quality and equity of healthcare. Everywhere, market-oriented healthcare proposals and policies have been introduced. But everywhere these have gone hand in hand with plainly anticompetitive mechanisms, which have brought the command-and-control structure of Europe's healthcare systems under even greater government control. Market mechanisms were introduced only as a means to limit costs, and not with the goal to empower patients. The goal has been to limit the economic growth of the healthcare sector by restricting consumption.

Healthcare reform in Europe.

The European welfare states are currently struggling with tremendous budget problems. Most debate appears to be concerned with how to cut healthcare costs. Unfortunately, limiting the state's costs, rather than enhancing the people's well-being, has become the prime focus of new healthcare strategies in the European welfare states. The result has been a reduction in the quality and availability of healthcare services and a diminishing contribution to medical innovation by most European countries. Abandonment of the 'pay-as-you-go' financing system is the only solution to increasingly unsustainable welfare state healthcare systems. A system financed by a capitalisation mechanism would be protected from the increasing costs associated with demographic evolution, while providing all members of society with the opportunity for affordable healthcare coverage.