In this paper we use a simple theoretical model to compare alternative regulation regimes for the reimbursement of medical innovations when responses to a new treatment (effectiveness) are heterogeneous within the eligible population. We study two dimensions: i) efficiency in selecting...

The process of privatisation of health care has followed different patterns and some health care systems have preferred to create a mixed market where public organisations compete alongside private ones. The evidence on their performance is mixed. In this article we argue that public hospitals...

Risk sharing is becoming an increasingly popular instrument to regulate the price of new drugs. In the recent past, forms of risk-sharing agreements between the public regulator and the industry have been proposed and implemented, but their effects on price and profits are still controversial....

In a recent article which appeared in this journal, Hoel and Saeter propose a model showing that welfare may be improved by introducing delay in public health care. In this note we argue that their model may be used as starting point because of their stringent assumptions. We suggest that the...

The reforms that have reshaped most public health care system have often been accompained by a process of devolution. However, this process has not always produced the desired effects and the existence of widespread soft budget constraint policies at local level is well documented. In this paper...

The literature on public goods provision has experienced a significant increase since Samuelson's (1954) paper. The common goal is to make the model more suitable to describe a more general class of non rival goods. However, there does not seem to be a consensus in the literature on the form of...

In the the recent past some forms of risk sharing agreements have been used in some countries in drug pricing. In this note we present a specific risk sharing agreement on effectiveness and show how such mechanism is going to affect the market in the long run. In particular, we will show how the...

The traditional fiscal federalism theory shows that the devolution of functions for the supply of local public goods may increase welfare. However, most services offered at local level are impure local public goods with spillovers. These goods have specific characteristics that may prevent...