Private participation in health services is often a controversial issue, although many countries already make use of private services to further aims in health care. The book draws on a wide range of country experience to provide a judicious blend of practical advice and useful information on...

Many countries have national health systems that cover all or part of the population. An aging population and advances in medical technology are making health insurance increasingly expensive, and governments are left seeking cost-effective options. The Dutch government is reorganizing its...

Universal health coverage (UHC) is an integral part of the United Nations' sustainable development goals. The private sector plays a prominent role in achieving UHC, being the primary source of essential medicines for many people. However, many private healthcare facilities in low- and...

If plans to modernise Europe's healthcare infrastructure are to be sustained, new ways of financing it will have to be found. The PFI model has been seriously derailed by the recession, but new forms of public-private partnership – already being tried out in other European countries – may...

So-called “public programs” in U.S. health care pervasively contract with private entities. The contracting does not merely involve the purchase of drugs, devices, information technology, insurance, and medical care. Rather, government agencies are increasingly outsourcing decisions about...

Background: In developed countries around the world there is a trend to enhance the public-private collaboration in healthcare. In Spain, a decentralized country with a NHS funded with taxes and universal coverage, commissioning to for-profit private hospitals the production of healthcare...