Comment on Richard Scheffler “International Reforms of Health Care Systems: Quasi Markets, Privatization, and Managed Care”

Abstract

Doubtlessly, Richard Scheffler has written a fine and truly convincing paper in which he very ably summarizes the fundamental issues of health care as well as the current patterns of reform in the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Czech Republic. In general, the results of the study are consistent with and reinforce those made of other countries’ public health care or social health insurance systems. With regard to most of the evaluations made in this paper I can fully agree. But in view of the discussions and developments in Germany, I must confess to a certain skepticism. Therefore, the tenor of the paper seems to be somewhat too optimistic. I will demonstrate this by focusing upon two of the three c’s discussed in Scheffler’s paper: coverage and control.