Better Value for Money in Healthcare: European Lessons for Canada

32 Pages Posted: 15 Mar 2012

See all articles by Ake Blomqvist

Ake Blomqvist

Carleton University; C.D. Howe Institute

Colin Busby

C.D. Howe Institute

Date Written: January 31, 2012

Abstract

Modern health systems, like Canada’s, face similar pressures. Populations are aging, government revenues are dwindling, and the scope for new services is increasing as new technologies develop. However, each country is responding to these pressures in unique ways. Arguably, Canadians pay too much attention to the United States health model – which is expensive and has a large uninsured population – making it a distraction for provincial policymakers. This Commentary instead focuses on the United Kingdom’s and the Netherlands’ healthcare systems. Those systems have undergone a period of reform to attain greater value for money and they adhere to equity principles similar to those underlying the Canadian system. A serious look at how these European countries align incentives within their systems to encourage better performance would be beneficial to health policy development in Canada.

Keywords: Social Policy, Health Policy, Canada, healthcare

JEL Classification: I1, I18, H51

Suggested Citation

Blomqvist, Ake and Busby, Colin, Better Value for Money in Healthcare: European Lessons for Canada (January 31, 2012). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2021330 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2021330

Ake Blomqvist (Contact Author)

Carleton University ( email )

1125 colonel By Drive
Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5B6
Canada

C.D. Howe Institute ( email )

67 Yonge St., Suite 300
Toronto, Ontario M5E 1J8
Canada

Colin Busby

C.D. Howe Institute ( email )

67 Yonge St., Suite 300
Toronto, Ontario M5E 1J8
Canada

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