Britain Medicare reform: the introduction of the internal market mechanism

Britain's medical security system, also known as the National Health Service system (NationalHealthService, NHS), a typical universal health care system, is famous in 1942 on the basis of the Beveridge report, based on the British "National Health Services Act" in 1948 Built up. 1991 John Major administration, to the Thatcher's reform ideas, according to the U.S. more than TU, Professor of recommendations to improve patient rights and economic efficiency, universal health insurance system for fundamental changes: the introduction of the internal market mechanism . The reform adhere to the "basis for a general tax revenue, the Government allocated budget, the whole society to provide free medical services nationals" principle, while the introduction of competition principles into the internal market (analog), the realization of the medical services in the "money follow the patient Walk ". In the internal market, the NHS will be divided into buyers and providers. The original relevant national medical institutions of governance has become the purchase of medical services, responsible for the medical needs of residents, on behalf of the state and service providers entered into the contract took the form of purchasing services, hospital treatment and no longer exercise the functions and perform the function of providing services . And the only provider through the provision of more and better than any other competitor, even cheaper service, after fierce competition, access to the purchase of the contract, to obtain the funds to continue operating. 1993, the Government of John Major NHS was reorganized, the district health and family medical services merger, on the one hand to simplify management responsibilities, reduce management costs, on the other hand, maintain the primary and secondary health care services consistency. Centre to strengthen the control of the Government of the market. In 1991 the results of the reform is very positive: 1. Reform has brought significant efficiency gains. After four years of reform, improve the efficiency of 1 percent. 2. The cost of treatment greatly improve the information disclosure. Patients and their agents of the available information more fully, forcing providers to efforts to reduce costs, thereby greatly improving the efficiency of the use of health resources. 3. With the average waiting time was shorter, satisfaction increased. But also exposed to repeat the purchase of medical equipment and management costs increased, and so the new issues. December 1997, the Blair government published its reform and a programmatic document - the White Paper "The new National Health Service" (NewNHS), including: 1. Increase in health funding sources. 2. Clearly the rights of patients and improve the evaluation index. 3. Service efficiency and quality: In order to improve efficiency and service quality, set up two new bodies. 4. Reform of the internal market, agent and planning mechanisms. 5. Lower treatment costs. 6. The establishment of regional health services. It is clear that the Blair government's Medicare reform is obvious areas of Western European left-wing "third way" of color, efficiency and equity in more emphasis on social solidarity, at the same time, moderate the absorption of the Conservative government to improve the efficiency of the reasonable initiatives.