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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Haejoo Chung, RPh, MSc, Department of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, 624 N Broadway Suite 508, Baltimore, MD 21205, 443 527 6298, hachung@jhsph.edu and Carles Muntaner, MD, PhD, Center for Addiction and Mental Health, University of Toronto, 250 College St Suite 618, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada.

We know that among wealthy countries, a certain type of health system such as a National Health Service functions better than other types of health system such as a Health Insurance in producing better population health indicators. We also suspect that both economic equality and a political economic system that promotes relative equality have beneficial effect on health. However we do not know how the relative effectiveness of various health service arrangements differs by the strength of the welfare state. How much does the public financing and delivery of health services add to the health effects of political economy (i.e., welfare state)? Although the health system features of a country will be related to its welfare state characteristics, there are notable exceptions (e.g., the United Kingdom) which makes these research questions valid and important. Based on contemporary welfare-state and health services theories, I developed a conceptual model in which the investment in welfare and health services is determined by wealth, and by egalitarian power resources in the government and the labor market. Using the model, we will fit structural equation models to show similar health services arrangements can have a different effect on population health based on the political economic context of where the health system is situated. People in social democratic countries are significantly healthier than those in Liberal welfare states, but providing a universal health care will make a notable difference in Liberal countries.

Learning Objectives:

• The audiences will be able to learn the importance of welfare state for the betterment of population health as well as health services.

Keywords: Public Policy, Health Service

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No