IMT Lucca Institute for Advanced Studies, Piazza San Ponziano, 6, 55100, Lucca, Italy.
Eur J Health Econ. 2012 Oct;13(5):623-34. doi: 10.1007/s10198-011-0337-8. Epub 2011 Aug 4.
During the last 30 years, health care expenditure (HCE) has been growing much more rapidly than GDP in OECD countries. In this paper, we review the determinants of HCE dynamics in Europe, taking into account the role of income, aging population, technological progress, female labor participation and public budgetary variables. We show that HCE is a multifaceted phenomenon where demographic, social, economic, technological and institutional factors all play an important role. The comparison of total, public and private HCE reveals an imbalance of European welfare toward the care of the elderly. European Governments should increasingly rely on pluralistic systems to balance sustainability and access and equilibrate the distribution of resources across the functions of the public welfare system.
在过去的 30 年中，经合组织国家的医疗保健支出（HCE）的增长速度远远超过 GDP。本文回顾了欧洲 HCE 动态的决定因素，考虑了收入、人口老龄化、技术进步、女性劳动力参与和公共预算变量的作用。我们表明，HCE 是一个多方面的现象，其中人口、社会、经济、技术和制度因素都起着重要作用。对总 HCE、公共 HCE 和私人 HCE 的比较揭示了欧洲福利制度在老年人护理方面的不平衡。欧洲政府应该越来越依赖多元化的体系来平衡可持续性和可及性，并平衡公共福利体系各职能的资源分配。
