TY - BOOK AU - Thomson,Sarah AU - Sagan,Anna AU - Mossialos,Elias TI - Private health insurance: history, politics and performance T2 - European observatory on health systems and policies SN - 9781139026468 (ebook) AV - HG9399.E8512 P75 2020 U1 - 365.38/20094 23 PY - 2020/// CY - Cambridge PB - Cambridge University Press KW - Health insurance KW - Europe KW - Government policy KW - Health insurance premiums KW - Medical care N1 - Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 13 Oct 2020); Open Access title N2 - Can private health insurance fill gaps in publicly financed coverage? Does it enhance access to health care or improve efficiency in health service delivery? Will it provide fiscal relief for governments struggling to raise public revenue for health? This book examines the successes, failures and challenges of private health insurance globally through country case studies written by leading national experts. Each case study considers the role of history and politics in shaping private health insurance and determining its impact on health system performance. Despite great diversity in the size and functioning of markets for private health insurance, the book identifies clear patterns across countries, drawing out valuable lessons for policymakers while showing how history and politics have proved a persistent barrier to effective public policy. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core UR - https://doi.org/10.1017/9781139026468 ER -