Health Reforms in Post-Communist Eastern Europe: The Politics of Policy Learning

About the Book
Acknowledgements
Contents
About the Author
Abbreviations
List of Tables
Chapter 1: Introduction
	Introduction
	Market-Oriented Health Reforms
	Healthcare Reforms in Post-Communism
		Systemic Change: From ‘Semashko’ to ‘Bismarck’
		Policy Change: Introduction of Markets
	Explaining the Variation in Post-Communist Health Reforms: Argument
	Data and Methods
	Overview of the Book
	References
Chapter 2: The Politics of Policy Learning
	Introduction
	Alternative Explanations
		Professional Power
		External Actors
		Economic Pressures
	The Politics of Policy Learning
		Ideas, Paradigms, Learning, and Policy Change
		Socialist Health Policy Legacies
		Post-Communist Institutions and Party Competition
	Conclusion
	References
Chapter 3: Slovenia
	Introduction
	Slovenian Healthcare Under Socialism
		Introduction of the Socialist Policy Paradigm
		Emergence of Market Idea: Shift to Workers’ Self-Management
		The Socialist Healthcare Crisis
	Institutional and Political Context of Post-Communist Health Reform
		Institutions: Light Veto Points Configurations
		Party Politics: Weak Party Divide on Health Policy
	Key Episodes in Post-Communist Healthcare Reform
		Initial Post-Communist Healthcare Reform Debates
		Introduction of Social Health Insurance and Co-payments for Health Services
		Introduction of Complementary Private Insurance
		First Attempt to Abolish Complementary Private Insurance
		Adaptation of Complementary Private Insurance
		Second Attempt to Abolish Complementary Private Insurance
		Limited Privatisation of Primary Care
		Lack of Hospital Privatisation
	Conclusion
	References
Chapter 4: The Czech Republic
	Introduction
	Czech Healthcare Under Socialism
		Introduction of the Socialist Policy Paradigm
		The Socialist Healthcare Crisis
		Emergence of Market Ideas
	Institutional and Political Contexts of Post-Communist Health Reform
		Institutions: Medium Strong Veto Points Configurations
		Party Politics: Moderate Party Divide on Health Policy
	Key Episodes in Post-Communist Healthcare Reform
		Initial Post-Communist Reform Debates
		Introduction of Social Health Insurance and Managed Competition
		Regulation of Competition
		Privatisation of Primary Care
		Introduction of User Fees
		Partial Withdrawal of User Fees
		Hospital Privatisation
	Conclusion
	References
Chapter 5: Poland
	Introduction
	Polish Healthcare Under Socialism
		Introduction of the Socialist Policy Paradigm
		The Socialist Health Crisis
		Emergence of Market Ideas
	Institutional and Political Context of Post-Communist Health Reform
		Institutions: Thick Veto Points Configuration
		Party Politics: Strong Party Divisions on Health Policy
	Key Episodes in Post-Communist Healthcare Reform
		Initial Post-Communist Reform Debate
		Privatisation of Primary Care
		Introduction of Social Health Insurance
		Shift Towards Managed Competition
		Shift Towards Centralised Health Insurance
		Attempts to Return to Managed Competition
		Attempts to Introduce Private Health Insurance
		Attempt to Privatise Hospitals
	Conclusion
	References
Chapter 6: Conclusion
	Introduction
	Legacies: Contrasting Slovenian, Czech, and Polish Health Reform
	Institutions and Party Politics: Contrasting Slovenian, Czech, and Polish Health Reform
	Health Reforms in the Context of COVID-19
	Policy Implications
	Future Research Agenda
	References
Appendix: List of Interviewees
	Slovenia
	Czech Republic
	Poland
Index