In all four countries health care expenditures grow while the revenue remains at the same level or even shrinks in many cases. Due to medical progress, ageing and many other factors the gap is widening over time. The pay-as-you-go approach is running against limits either with rising employer...

This paper discusses the influence of recent health care reform acts in Germany on choice, guidance and access from the perspective of patients, insured, insurers, and health care providers. Particular emphasis is put on health policy reforms since 2004, i.e. the Social Health Insurance...

Many countries with national health care providers and health insurances regulate the market for pharmaceuticals to steer drug demand and to control expenses. For example, they introduce reference pricing or tiered co-payments to enhance drug substitution and competition. Since 2006, Germany...