Health insurance coverage in Central and Eastern Europe: trends and challenges

Abstract

Health insurance systems in Central and Eastern Europe have evolved in different ways from the centralized health systems inherited from the Soviet era, but there remain common trends and challenges in the region. Health spending is low in comparison to the spending of pre-2004 European Union members, but population aging, medical technology, economic growth, and heightened expectations will generate major spending pressures. Social health insurance is the dominant model in the region, but coverage is uneven. Key3reform issues include identifying ways to encourage additional investment in the health sector; and defining formal benefit packages, copayments, and the role of private insurance.