Examines hospital financing in Canada, England France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United States.

This report discusses several different approaches that support reforming health care services in developing countries. For some time now, health care services have been supported by government funds. As demands for improving health care services continue to increase additional demands will be placed on governments to respond. This, however, will not be easy. Slow economic growth and record budget deficits in the 1980's have forced reductions in public spending. Alternative approaches to finance health care services are needed. Such possible changes could involve: decentralization of federal government involvement; the promotion of nongovernment involvement; the imposition of user fees; and, establishing health insurance. Finally, the role of the Bank in pursuing new financing strategies is discussed.

Hospitals receive the lion's share of resources in developing countries although other types of care are more cost effective. This study shows how hospital waste can be cut, improvements in managerial and technical efficiency, and involvement of hospitals in the policy dialog regarding use of resources can yield great benefits. Published for the World Bank. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Examines hospital financing in Canada, England France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United States.

This overview of health financing tools, policies and trends--with a particular focus on challenges facing developing countries--provides the basis for effective policy-making. Analyzing the current global environment, the book discusses health financing goals in the context of both the underlying health, demographic, social, economic, political and demographic analytics as well as the institutional realities faced by developing countries, and assesses policy options in the context of global evidence, the international aid architecture, cross-sectoral interactions, and countries' macroeconomic frameworks and overall development plans.

The report focuses on a review of the implementation experience of case-based and DRG mechanisms in the Asia and Pacific region, drawing particularly on research in Australia, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, Singapore and Thailand.