title: Voluntary health insurance in the European Union: a critical assessment.
abstract: The authors examine the role and nature of the market for voluntary health insurance in the European Union and review the impact of public policy, at both the national and E.U. levels, on the development of this market in recent years. The conceptual framework, based on a model of industrial analysis, allows a wide range of policy questions regarding market structure, conduct, and performance. By analyzing these three aspects of the market for voluntary health insurance, the authors are also able to raise questions about the equity and efficiency of voluntary health insurance as a means of funding health care in the European Union. The analysis suggests that the market for voluntary health insurance in the European Union suffers from significant information failures that seriously limit its potential for competition or efficiency and also reduce equity. Substantial deregulation of the E.U. market for voluntary health insurance has stripped regulatory bodies of their power to protect consumers and poses interesting challenges for national regulators, particularly if the market is to expand in the future. In a deregulated environment, it is questionable whether this method of funding health care will encourage a more efficient and equitable allocation of resources.
authors.affiliation: European Observatory on Health Care Systems, London School of Economics and Political Science, United Kingdom. e.a.mossialos@lse.ac.uk
authors.forename: Elias
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mossialos
authors.forename: Sarah M S
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Thomson
mesh_terms: D004465:Economic Competition; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D005060:Europe; D005062:European Union; D005249:Fees and Charges; D005380:Financing, Government / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019981:Health Care Sector / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000639:trends*; D005102:Health Expenditures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006291:Health Policy / Q000191:economics*; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D015273:Insurance Selection Bias; D007348:Insurance, Health / Q000145:classification / Q000191:economics*; D009313:National Health Programs / Q000191:economics; D011332:Privatization / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013660:Taxes / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence