Reforming health care in the republic of Kazakstan

✍ Scribed by Tim Ensor; Joe Rittmann

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1997
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 205 KB
• Volume: 12
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0749-6753
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1099-1751(199707/09)12:3<219::aid-hpm482>3.0.co;2-i

✦ Synopsis

Kazakstan, as in other former communist countries, is currently replacing the soviet system of health care ®nancing for a model based on medical insurance. The main initial purpose has been to generate additional revenue for a sector suering considerably from reductions in state funding induced by economic transition. Two key issues need to be addressed if the new system is to produce genuine reform. First, the rural areas have suered disproportionately from the changes. There is an urgent need to adapt the existing system so that adequate funding goes to redress this imbalance. Second, although the fund has concentrated on raising revenue, it will only induce real reform if it begins to exercise its role as an independent purchaser of health care. There is a need for the future roles of both health ministry and insurance fund to be clearly de®ned to ensure that wide access to medical care is preserved. (&1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.