Enhancing Efficiency and Equity : Challenges and Reform Opportunities Facing Health and Pension Systems in the Western Balkans
This collection of papers explores the major challenges to the sustainability of health and pension system financing in the countries of the Western Balkans - Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, S...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Working Paper |
| Language: | English en_US |
| Published: |
World Bank, Washington, DC
2013
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2008/09/10070853/enhancing-efficiency-equity-challenges-reform-opportunities-facing-health-pension-systems-western-balkans http://hdl.handle.net/10986/13725 |
| Summary: | This collection of papers explores the
major challenges to the sustainability of health and pension
system financing in the countries of the Western Balkans -
Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Former Yugoslav
Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and the province
of Kosovo. It focuses on how the incentives created by the
different elements of the financing arrangements affect the
behavior of providers and individuals, and the resulting
inefficiencies in revenue collection and expenditure
containment. The volume commences with an analysis of
healthcare financing, exploring patterns of healthcare
expenditure, and examining the key drivers of current
healthcare expenditure and the most significant barriers to
revenue generation. Subsequent chapters give special
attention to provider payment mechanisms and the
pharmaceutical sector. Equity considerations are highlighted
in a chapter that explores the protection that is offered
against the financial impact of health expenditures. With
respect to the pension sector, the volume provides an
overview of national pension systems and outlines the main
challenges to achieving a sustainable balance between
pension benefits and costs. The analyses of the health and
pension reform process are placed within the context of the
labor market challenges in the sub-region, especially as
they relate to the ability to raise revenue for health and
pensions through payroll contributions. All chapters
conclude by identifying some reforms that countries in the
sub-region could consider in order to enhance the efficiency
and sustainability of their systems. Data are drawn from
international databases, country institutions, and household surveys. |
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