Hospital financing reform and case-mix measurement: an international review.
A review of reforms in the financing of hospital services in eight European countries and Australia reveals a commitment to a common objective of relating resource use to hospital workload by means of a standardized case-mix framework in the pursuit of greater efficiency. While this objective is also shared with the U.S. prospective payment system (PPS), it is noteworthy that the majority of countries reviewed favor a global budgeting approach to financing hospital services. Ongoing evaluation of these reforms should facilitate an assessment of the merits of case-mix adjusted global budgeting relative to the patient-based alternative.
Health Policy Research Centre, Economic and Social Research Institute, Dublin, Ireland.
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Wiley
D001315:Australia; D002017:Budgets / Q000458:organization & administration; D003363:Cost Control / Q000379:methods; D003953:Diagnosis-Related Groups / Q000191:economics*; D005060:Europe; D005377:Financial Management, Hospital; D006295:Health Resources / Q000191:economics / Q000600:supply & distribution; D007350:Insurance, Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006278:Medicare / Q000191:economics; D009313:National Health Programs / Q000191:economics*; D011445:Prospective Payment System / Q000191:economics; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D014481:United States