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Health & Fitness Health Care Issues

Federalism and Decentralization in Health Care

A Decision Space Approach

edited by Gregory Marchildon & Thomas J. Bossert

Publisher
University of Toronto Press
Initial publish date
Mar 2018
Category
Health Care Issues, Social Services & Welfare, Comparative Politics, Developing Countries, Public Affairs & Administration
  • Hardback

    ISBN
    9781487501594
    Publish Date
    Mar 2018
    List Price
    $87.00
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9781487521547
    Publish Date
    Mar 2018
    List Price
    $39.95
  • eBook

    ISBN
    9781487513573
    Publish Date
    Apr 2018
    List Price
    $39.95

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Description

While health system decentralization is often associated with federations, there has been limited study on the connection between federalism and the organization of publicly financed or mandated health services. Federalism and Decentralization in Health Care examines eight federations that differ in terms of their geography, history and constitutional and political development. Looking at Canada, Brazil, Germany, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, South Africa and Switzerland, Federalism and Decentralization in Health Care examines constitutional responsibility for health care, the national laws establishing a right to health care, the predominant sources and organization of public revenues directed to health care, and the overall organization of the health system.

 

In additional to these structural features, each country case study is subjected to a "decision space analysis" to determine the actual degree of health system decentralization. This involves determining whether national and subnational governments have narrow, moderate or broad discretion in their decisions on governance, access, human resources, health system organization and financing. This comparative approach highlights the similarities and differences among these federations. Offering reflections on recent trends in centralization or decentralizations for the health system as a whole, Federalism and Decentralization in Health Care, is a valuable resource for those studying health care policy in federal systems and especially those interested in comparative aspects of the topic.

About the authors

Gregory P. Marchildon is a Canada Research Chair in Public Policy and Economic History at the Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy, University of Regina. He was executive director of the Royal Commission on the Future of Health Care in Canada (the Romanow Commission). His most recent books include Health Systems in Transition: Canada (2013) and Nunavut: A Health System Profile (2013).

Gregory Marchildon's profile page

Thomas J. Bossert is a senior lecturer and the Director of the International Health Systems Program of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Thomas J. Bossert's profile page