International health service research reveals a uniform tendency in practically all industrialised countries: an increasing shift of costs from solidarity-based financing to private households. Legislators and advisors usually justify this policy through the need to encourage cost-consciousness...

Managers and administrators in charge of social protection and health financing, service purchasing and provision play a crucial role in harnessing the potential advantage of prudent organization, management and purchasing of health services, thereby supporting the attainment of Universal Health...