The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #73768

Donald W. Light, PhD, Dept. of Sociology, Princeton University, Wallace Hall, Princeton, NJ 08544, 609-924-9220, dlight@Princeton.EDU

Learning Objectives:

• Britian's National Health Service (NHS) was established in the wake of World War II amidst a broad consensus that health care should be made available to all. Yet the British only barely succeeded in overcoming professional opposition to form the NHS out of the pre-war mixture of limited national insurance, various voluntary insurance schemes, charity care, and public health services. Success stemmed from a parliamentary system of government that gives the winning party great control, extraordinary leadership and a willingness to make major concessions to key stakeholders. As one of the basic models emulated worldwide, the NHS-- in both its original form and its current restructuring-- offers a number of relevant lessons for health reform in the U.S.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.