International Journal of Health Care Finance and Economics

International Journal of Health Care Finance and Economics

http://www.springerlink.com/link.asp?id=106603

Publisher: Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

The demand for health care will surely continue to increase in the future.
How to finance the cost of that care will remain on the policy agenda. In
the public domain, expenditures on health services will always compete with
other uses of tax funds, such as defence and education; the debate about the
magnitude of the government's involvement in health care is here to stay. In
the private sector, payment for health services not covered by government ­
in the form of insurance premiums and direct payment ­ competes with other
consumption spending and saving. The problem of how to finance health care
in either sector must be addressed, with general tax financing, social
insurance, and private financing as alternatives.

Knowledge of why people choose alternative arrangements, either in markets
or through the political process, is one key to understanding the problem.
In addition, choices with regard to the financing of health care are also
crucial, because they determine methods of payment for health care, and
payment methods in turn influence the supply decisions of health care
providers. This creates an important connection between the financing of a
health care system and its performance. The problems of financing and the
links among financing, payment, and performance will constitute the core
topics of International Journal of Health Care Finance and Economics.

The primary audience for this journal will be health economists and health
services researchers. In addition, readership is certain to include health
care providers and managers and their trade associations, who need to know
about the financial pressures facing insurers and governments, with
consequences for regulation and mandates. Insurers and employee benefit
organizations also want to learn more about provider responses to incentives
and regulations. Representatives of social security and government wish to
find out about and compare international experiences with regard to the
level and distribution of the tax burden associated with reforms.

The editors of International Journal of Health Care Finance and Economics
encourage submissions that analyze the behavior and interaction of the
actors in health care, viz. consumers, providers, insurers, and governments
under the influence of health care finance and regulation. Preference will
be given to contributions that combine theoretical with empirical work,
evaluate conflicting findings, or compare experiences between countries and
jurisdictions. The composition of the editorial board is designed to avoid
editorial bias. Every effort will be made to reach a first decision about a
submission within one hundred days.

ISSN 1389-6563

International Journal of Health Care Finance and Economics
Cheryl Knight, Journals Editorial Office
Springer
101 Philip Drive
Norwell, MA 02061, U.S.A.

Tel.: 781-681-0545
Fax: 781-878-0449
Email: Cheryl.Knight@springer-sbm.com

Content available by subscription. Abstracts available online. Articles
available in PDF format. Selected articles available free online.
 
Current Issue: Volume 5, Number 2 June 2005

Date: 13 June 2005