title: Czech Republic: health system review.
abstract: This analysis of the Czech health system reviews recent developments in organization and governance, health financing, health-care provision, health reforms and health system performance. The Czech health-care system is based on compulsory statutory health insurance providing virtually universal coverage and a broad range of benefits, and doing so at 7.7 % of GDP in 2012 - well below the EU average - of which a comparatively high 85 % was publicly funded. Some important health indicators are better than the EU averages (such as mortality due to respiratory disease) or even among the best in the world (in terms of infant mortality, for example). On the other hand, mortality rates for diseases of the circulatory system and malignant neoplasms are well above the EU average, as are a range of health-care utilization rates, such as outpatient contacts and average length of stay in acute care hospitals. In short, there is substantial potential in the Czech Republic for efficiency gains and to improve health outcomes. Furthermore, the need for reform in order to financially sustain the system became evident again after the global financial crisis, but there is as yet no consensus about how to achieve this.
authors.affiliation: Czech Ministry of Finance.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Alexa
authors.affiliation: Environment Center, Charles University, Prague.
authors.forename: Lukas
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Recka
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University, Prague.
authors.forename: Jana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Votapkova
authors.affiliation: Berlin University of Technology and European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies.
authors.forename: Ewout
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: van Ginneken
authors.affiliation: Berlin University of Technology and European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Spranger
authors.affiliation: Berlin University of Technology and European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies.
authors.forename: Friedrich
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wittenbecher
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018153:Czech Republic; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005260:Female; D006078:Government Programs / Q000191:economics; D018166:Health Care Reform / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005102:Health Expenditures; D006291:Health Policy / Q000191:economics; D006295:Health Resources; D061889:Healthcare Financing; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008483:Medical Assistance; D008875:Middle Aged; D019472:Universal Health Insurance / Q000191:economics; D055815:Young Adult