International Trade in Health Services and the GATS : Current Issues and Debates

International Trade in Health Services and the GATS : Current Issues and Debates

Health ministries around the world face a new challenge: to assess the risks and respond to the opportunities of the increasing openness in health services under the World Trade Organization's (WTO) General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors:	Blouin, Chantal, Drager, Nick, Smith, Richard
Format:	Publication
Language:	English en_US
Published:	Washington, DC: World Bank 2012
Subjects:	ACCESS TO HEALTH SERVICES AGREEMENT ON TRADE-RELATED ASPECTS AGRICULTURAL SUBSIDIES APPLICABLE LAW BALANCE OF PAYMENTS CLEAN WATER COMMERCIAL AGREEMENT COMMERCIAL PRESENCE COMMUNITIES COMPETENT INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS CROWDING DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH DIRECT INVESTMENT DISPUTE SETTLEMENT DISPUTE SETTLEMENT MECHANISM DISPUTE SETTLEMENT PROCESS DOMESTIC REGULATION DOMESTIC REGULATIONS DOMESTIC SUPPLIERS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ECONOMIC WELFARE ECONOMY-WIDE BENEFITS EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION EUROPEAN UNION FATS FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS FINANCIAL SERVICES FOREIGN AFFILIATES FOREIGN AFFILIATES TRADE IN SERVICES FOREIGN EMPLOYEES FOREIGN EQUITY FOREIGN INVESTMENT FOREIGN INVESTORS FOREIGN PARTICIPATION FOREIGN PROVIDERS FOREIGN SERVICES FOREIGN SUPPLIERS FREE TRADE FREE TRADE AGREEMENT GATS GATS RULES GENDER GENERAL AGREEMENT ON TRADE IN SERVICES GLOBAL TRADE HEALTH CARE HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS HEALTH EXPERTS HEALTH MINISTRIES HEALTH OUTCOMES HEALTH POLICY HEALTH PROFESSIONALS HEALTH REGULATIONS HEALTH SECTOR HEALTH SERVICE HEALTH SERVICES HEALTH STATUS HEALTH SYSTEM HEALTH SYSTEMS HOSPITAL SECTOR HOSPITAL SERVICES HOSPITALS HUMAN RIGHTS INSURANCE INSURERS INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS INTERNATIONAL BANK INTERNATIONAL NEGOTIATIONS INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS INTERNATIONAL RULES INTERNATIONAL TRADE INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN SERVICES ISOLATION LEGAL ASPECTS LEGAL EXPERTS LEGAL RULES LIBERALIZATION OF TRADE LIBERALIZING TRADE MARKET ACCESS MEDICAL SERVICES MEDICINES MFN MIGRATION MODES OF SUPPLY MULTILATERAL DISCIPLINES NATIONAL HEALTH NATIONAL SUPPLIERS NATIONAL TREATMENT NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS NONGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS NURSES NUTRITION PATENT PROTECTION PATIENTS PAYMENTS FOR HEALTH SERVICES POCKET PAYMENTS POLICY DISCUSSIONS POTENTIAL BENEFITS PRIVATE HOSPITALS PRIVATE SECTOR PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS PROGRESSIVE LIBERALIZATION PROVISION OF HEALTH SERVICES PROVISION OF SERVICES PUBLIC HEALTH PUBLIC POLICY PUBLIC SERVICES QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS REGIONAL TRADE REGULATORY POWERS RURAL AREAS SERVICE SECTOR SERVICE SECTORS SERVICES SERVICES SUPPLIERS SERVICES TRADE SOCIAL SERVICES TECHNICAL BARRIERS TECHNICAL STANDARDS TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER TRADE TRADE AGREEMENTS TRADE IN SERVICES TRADE LIBERALIZATION TRADE MINISTRIES TRADE NEGOTIATIONS TRADE POLICY TRADE RULES TRADE-RESTRICTIVE MEASURES TRADING PARTNERS TRADING SYSTEM WORKING CONDITIONS WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION WTO
Online Access:	http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2005/11/6501301/international-trade-health-services-general-agreement-trade-services-gats-current-issues-debates http://hdl.handle.net/10986/7402

Description
Summary:	Health ministries around the world face a new challenge: to assess the risks and respond to the opportunities of the increasing openness in health services under the World Trade Organization's (WTO) General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS). This publication addresses this challenge head-on by providing analytical tools to policymakers in health and trade ministries alike who are involved in the liberalization agenda and, specifically, in the GATS negotiations. This book informs and assists policymakers in formulating trade policy and negotiating internationally. There is ongoing and animated international debate about the impact of GATS on public services in general and health in particular. In response, the book offers different perspectives from more than 15 leading experts. Some of the authors stress opportunities linked to trade in health services, others focus more on the risks. The book offers: Detailed legal analysis of the impact of the agreement on health policy; an overview of trade commitments in health-related services; new empirical evidence from nine country studies; and a simple 10-step explanation on how to deal with GATS negotiations.