Law plays a significant, if sometimes unrecognized, role in health care reform and has been essential to such reform in Russia. As in many Western European countries, Russia embarked on reform to improve efficiency and reduce costs by decentralizing and introducing market competition into the health system, while preserving the solidarity principle embodied in the constitutional guarantee of free medical care for all. New laws are necessary not merely to restructure the financing and delivery systems, but, more importantly, to regulate market competition so that services remain available to everyone. The greater the freedom given to health care providers and insurers, the more specific and complex is the law needed to ensure an equitable distribution of resources and services. This presentation analyzes the role of law in health reform and describes how law is being used to further health reform in Russia in the Boston University Project on Legal and Regulatory Reform in The Russian Federation. Russia faces exceptually difficult obstacles to improving health and health care. It also relies heavily on affirmative new law to authorize reform measures. Nevertheless, it may offer lessons that can apply to other countries seeking reform in their health care systems.
Learning Objectives: Participants in this session will be able to: 1. identify the circumstances in which law is a primary tool of health care reform 2. describe recent health care reform efforts in Russia 3. assess the advantages and limitations of using different types of laws to achieve health reform goals
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
Disclosure not received
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