Global Cardiovascular Strategies

Dr.oec.HSG Hans-Olaf Wiesemann,
DKV (Deutsche Krankenversicherung) AG
Abt. Unternehmensplanung und Controlling, DKV AG
HEALTH CARE FINANCING:
MODELS OF PRIVATE AND ADDITIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE IN WESTERN EUROPE

 

I. Unified Framework for the Comparison of Health Insurance Systems

This paper focuses on three different examples how to organize private and additional health insurance in western European countries. We have chosen three countries with a quite large market share and a long tradition of private health insurance: Germany, the Netherlands, and Switzerland.

Before going into the details, we want to present you the framework of our unified presentation on this subject. The framework describing the models of private and additional health insurance comprises two axes: The vertical axis of the level and amount of health care constitutes the borderline between basic and additional health care. The horizontal axis of the income of persons draws the demarcation line between those persons eligible to private health insurance and those who are not.