Palm, Willy, Webb, Erin, Hernández-Quevedo, Cristina, Scarpetti, Giada, Lessof, Suszy, Siciliani, Luigi and van Ginneken, Ewout (2021) Gaps in coverage and access in the European Union. Health Policy, 125 (3). 341 - 350. ISSN 0168-8510
Full text not available from this repository.Abstract
This study identifies gaps in universal health coverage in the European Union, using a questionnaire sent to the Health Systems and Policy Monitor network of the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies. The questionnaire was based on a conceptual framework with four access dimensions: population coverage, service coverage, cost coverage, and service access. With respect to population coverage, groups often excluded from statutory coverage include asylum seekers and irregular residents. Some countries exclude certain social-professional groups (e.g. civil servants) from statutory coverage but cover these groups under alternative schemes. In terms of service coverage, excluded or restricted services include optical treatments, dental care, physiotherapy, reproductive health services, and psychotherapy. Early access to new and expensive pharmaceuticals is a concern, especially for rare diseases and cancers. As to cost coverage, some countries introduced protective measures for vulnerable patients in the form of exemptions or ceilings from user chargers, especially for deprived groups or patients with accumulation of out-of-pocket spending. For service access, common issues are low perceived quality and long waiting times, which are exacerbated for rural residents who also face barriers from physical distance. Some groups may lack physical or mental ability to properly formulate their request for care. Currently, available indicators fail to capture the underlying causes of gaps in coverage and access.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Official URL: | https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/health-polic... |
| Additional Information: | © 2020 Elsevier B.V. |
| Divisions: | European Observatory on Health Systems |
| Subjects: | R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine |
| Date Deposited: | 05 Mar 2021 11:24 |
| Last Modified: | 12 Dec 2024 02:26 |
| URI: | http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/108963 |
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