PRIVATE HEALTH CARE EXPENDITURES AND THE ROLE OF THE PRIVATE HEALTH INSURANCE IN THE EU COUNTRIES

Sustavi zdravstvenog osiguranja u članicama Europske unije (EU) temelje se na načelima solidarnosti i jednakosti pristupa zdravstvenim uslugama. Rast zdravstvene potrošnje u kombinaciji sa rastućom nezaposlenosti i deficitom drţavnih proračuna stvara pritisak na sustave zdravstvenog osiguranja koji se financiraju iz poreza te doprinosa zaposlenih i poslodavaca. Stoga se, kao nadopuna javnom financiranju zdravstvenog osiguranja, javljaju privatni izvori financiranja. Nositelji zdravstvene politike moraju voditi računa da korištenje privatnih izvora financiranja ne naruši načela na kojima se zasniva zdravstveno osiguranje u EU. Komparativnom analizom i metodama deskriptivne statistike u ovom se radu prikazuje struktura i razina privatnih izdataka za zdravstvo te njihov odnos sa odabranim pokazateljima. Prikazano je kako u većini članica EU raste udio izdataka za privatno zdravstveno osiguranje, dok opada udio izravnih izdataka za zdravstvo. TakoĎer, pokazana je pozitivna veza izmeĎu izdataka za privatno zdravstveno osiguranje i BDP-a per capita, dok je veza izmeĎu izravnih izdataka za zdravstvo i BDP-a per capita negativna. Analiza trţišta privatnog zdravstvenog osiguranja u EU pokazala je kako postoji prostor za dodatni napredak ovog oblika osiguranja, pogotovo u bivšim tranzicijskim zemljama. Povećanju značaja privatnog zdravstvenog osiguranja u EU trebale bi doprinijeti drţave, osiguravatelji i zdravstveni stručnjaci.Health insurance systems in the EU Member States are based on the principles of solidarity and equality of access to health services. The growth of health care spending combined with the increasing unemployment and the deficit of the consolidated general government is putting pressure on the health insurance systems which are mostly financed through taxes and social insurance contributions. For that reason private financing of health care is emerging as a complement to public financing. Policy-makers must take into account that the use of private sources of financing health care doesn`t violate the principles on which health insurance systems in the EU are based on. The structure and level of private spending for health care and their relationship with the chosen indicators in this paper are shown by using comparative analysis and the methods of descriptive statistics. Analysis shows that the proportion of expenditure for private health insurance is increasing while the share of direct expenditures for health care is decreasing in most EU Member States. Also, the positive link between expenditure for private health insurance and GDP per capita is observed, while the link between direct expenditure for health and GDP per capita is negative. Analysis of the market of private health insurance in the EU shows that there is room for further progress of this form of insurance, especially in the former transition countries. Governments, insurers and health professionals should contribute to the increasing role of private health insurance in the EU