Czechoslovakia's changing health care system.

Details

• Alternative Title:
  Public Health Rep
• Personal Author:
  Raffel, M W ; Raffel, N K
• Description:
  Before World War II, Czechoslovakia was among the most developed European countries with an excellent health care system. After the Communist coup d'etat in 1948, the country was forced to adapt its existing health care system to the Soviet model. It was planned and managed by the government, financed by general tax money, operated in a highly centralized, bureaucratic fashion, and provided service at no direct charge at the time of service. In recent years, the health care system had been deteriorating as the health of the people had also been declining. Life expectancy, infant mortality rates, and diseases of the circulatory system are higher than in Western European countries. In 1989, political changes occurred in Czechoslovakia that made health care reform possible. Now health services are being decentralized, and the ownership of hospitals is expected to be transferred to communities, municipalities, churches, charitable groups, or private entities. Almost all health leaders, including hospital directors and hospital department heads, have been replaced. Physicians will be paid according to the type and amount of work performed. Perhaps the most important reform is the establishment of an independent General Health Care Insurance Office financed directly by compulsory contributions from workers, employers, and government that will be able to negotiate with hospitals and physicians to determine payment for services.
• Subjects:
  Communism Czechoslovakia Delivery Of Health Care Education, Nursing Financing, Government Health Personnel Health Status Humans National Health Programs Organizational Innovation Organizational Objectives Outcome Assessment (Health Care) Ownership Politics Practice Management, Medical Research Article

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• Source:
  Public Health Rep. 107(6):636-643
• Pubmed ID:
  1454975
• Pubmed Central ID:
  PMCnull
• Document Type:
  Journal Article
• Volume:
  107
• Issue:
  6
• Collection(s):
  Public Health Reports
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha256:db1788d7c085c477b942d28a92065f41ada7407a519cf9e13f03e11f198c3342
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/63815/cdc_63815_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.36 MB ]