Examining the ways and extent to which systemic factors affect health outcomes with regard to quality, affordability and access to curative healthcare, this explorative book compares the relative merits of tax-funded Beveridge systems and insurance-based Bismarck systems. The Law and Policy of Healthcare Financing charts and compares healthcare system outcomes throughout 11 countries, from the UK to Colombia. Thematic chapters investigate the economic and legal explanations for the relevant similarities, variations and trends across the globe. Concluding that systemic factors may be less significant than previously believed, this comprehensive book notes that no one system consistently outperforms the others, yet incentives and funding improvements may lift performances across all curative healthcare systems. Analytical and comparative, this book will be of interest to academics working in the fields of health law and health economics. Public authorities including health ministries, policymakers and international health organisations will also find this to be an invaluable resource. Contributors include: F. Bachner, J. Bobek, J. Boertjens, P. Bogetoft, J.M. Burke, F. Dewallens, I. Durand-Zaleski, A. Geissler, C. Góngora Torres, M. Guy, T. Haanperä, J. Janus, S. Jerabkova, L. Lepuschütz, J. Lombard, M. Mikkers, G. O'Nolan, M.J. Perez-Villadoniga, H. Platou, K. Polin, W. Quentin, W. Sauter, V. Shestalova, K.H. Søvig, V. Stephani, A. van den Heever, J. van Manen, J. Vermeulen 'How we pay for our healthcare systems is nothing short of a test of our success as communities and nations: healthcare preserves and promotes human dignity. The balance between rising demands and costs, access for all, and efficiency and quality is pursued in different ways. Studies like this - even though comparable data is scarce - help us see possible better ways forward. The editors have assembled an impressive team, and their comparative research design yields rich insights.' --Tamara Hervey, University of Sheffield, UK 'Due to aging populations and technological advancements, countries are facing the challenge of improving healthcare quality, while maintaining access and containing cost. Focusing on the hospital sector, this book discusses how a variety of 11 countries try to meet this challenge. Specific attention is paid to the role of the regulatory framework, market structure, rationing and reimbursement methods. Although no best practice emerges, this book may be very useful for policymakers and anyone else interested in cross-country comparison.' --Frederik T. Schut, Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands Edited by Wolf Sauter, Full Professor of Law, Markets and Behavior, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and Coordinating Specialist Enforcement Official, Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM), Jos Boertjens and Johan van Manen, Dutch Healthcare Authority (NZa) and Misja Mikkers, Tilburg University, Department of Economics and Tilburg Law and Economics Center (TILEC) and Dutch Healthcare Authority (NZa), the Netherlands