Effects of socialistic policies on the transformation of the Czech healthcare system following the fall of Communism

Introduction: The purpose of this research work was to analyze the influence of socialistic policies adopted from the Soviet political model into the Czech healthcare system, and to provide evidence for the benefits of centrally organized healthcare administration during the transition from the Communist era into democracy. Data and methods: The analyses were based on statistical data of the World Health Organization, the Regional Office for Europe. I utilized statistical information on the organization of healthcare services, healthcare systems in transition, medicine and health in the former USSR, social medicine in Eastern Europe, hospitals, and education of medical personnel in Czechoslovakia. I also used sources published by the Cambridge University Press and Harvard University Press on social legacy of Communism. Results: Healthcare services are available to all Czech nationals and foreign persons legally employed by organizations based in the Czech Republic. No groups are excluded from coverage. Participation in the health insurance system is obligatory. The statutory health insurance covers most drugs, medical procedures and laboratory proceedings, including over-the-counter medicines prescribed by physicians, and spa treatments if prescribed by medical professionals. Consequently, the most significant negative consequence of the current system is an immense over-usage of medical services. Recommendations: Czech healthcare administration faces multiple problems that remain unsolved. Since the early 1990s, healthcare policy-makers focused on stabilizing financial deficits through decreased spending, rather than advancing administrative efficiency, connecting research activities to medical practice, and prioritizing continuous high quality education, all of which need improvement to meet the European qualitative standards.