Healthcare Financing: European Experience and Russian Practice

Abstract

The subject of the research is healthcare financing systems in European countries and Russia. The relevance of the problem stems from the possibility of using successful foreign experience for the organization of healthcare financing in Russia. The purpose of the research was to examine the specific features of the establishing and funding healthcare models in countries of Europe and the possibilities of their experience in organizing healthcare financing in the Russian Federation. The paper examines the current state of the two models of health financing in the EU — budget funding and insurance. By the example of individual European countries, the operation specifics of each model are analyzed, their advantages and disadvantages are assessed. Particular attention is paid to the specifics of the healthcare financing system in Russia and its difference from foreign systems. Taking into account the foreign experience and the need to improve the Russian compulsory healthcare insurance (CHI) system, the paper proposes ways to improve the Russian model of healthcare financing: establishment of a unified organizational and financial CHI model; introduction of a system of equal participation of the employer and employee in the financing of compulsory healthcare insurance; introduction of a family insurance system; promotion of voluntary healthcare insurance programs. It is concluded that the keypoint in the CHI system restructuring should be the search for socially acceptable and economically justified forms of attracting public funds. At the same time, it is extremely important that the funds received by medical institutions do not increase the shadow incomes in the economy but are spent on the development of the healthcare system.