Main description:

The book assesses the policy actions of select Asian governments (China, India, Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore and Thailand) to address critical health system functions from a policy design perspective. The findings show that all governments in the region have made tremendous strides in focussing their attention on the core issues and, especially, the interactions among them. However, there is still insufficient appreciation of the usefulness of public hospitals and their efficient management. Similarly, some governments have not made sufficient efforts to establish an effective regulatory framework which is especially vital in systems with a large share of private providers and payers. A well-run public hospital system and an effective framework for regulating private providers are essential tools to support the governance, financing, and payment reforms underway in the six health systems studied in this book.

Contents:

1. Introduction: health policy design; 2. The economic and social context of health care in Asia; 3. China: re-building the system; 4. India: reforming a private and fragmented health system; 5. South Korea: universal health care in the context of private provision; 6. Thailand: universal health care under Government Stewardship; 7. Hong Kong: keeping health care simple; 8. Singapore: synergising the state and market in health care; 9. Conclusion: health policy design in Asia; References; Index.