Modelling in Health Care Finance : A Compendium of Quantitative Techniques for Health Care Financing

This unique book provides a solid understanding of the basics of modeling and assists health care professionals in grasping its uses in creating and implementing informed health care policy. Modelling in Health Care Finance offers the quantitative and analytic tools needed for sound resource allocation and financial governance of health systems. It creates synergies and bridges gaps between quantitative health economics, health financing, and actuarial science while presenting methods for improving the efficiency and lowering the costs of current health systems.A valuable guidebook for health system and health insurance managers alike, this volume traces the foundations of modeling and explains how these very useful and available tools can aid in the design of effective health care policy. In straightforward, non-technical language, the book demystifies the modeling process and provides step-by-step guidance through model construction. From forming health policy goals, identifying options, and analyzing results, to actual implementation, the book demonstrates how managers and policy-makers can make use of models.Written by a team of health care policy experts from the ILO and other contributors, the book also includes a substantial glossary of terms, a section of accessible reference materials, and issue briefs that cover concepts of health economics, mathematics of private health insurance, and basic econometric techniques.

Michael Cichon is chief of the Financial, Actuarial and Statistical Services Branch of the ILO's Social Protection Sector. William Newbrander is a health economist and Director of the Health Reform and Financing Program of Management Sciences for Health (MSH) in Boston. Hiroshi Yamabana is an actuary in the Financial, Actuarial and Statistical Branch (SEC/FAS) of the Social Security Department of the ILO. Axel Weber is an economist specializing in social protection and health care financing. He has worked for the Germany Ministry of Labour, the Federation of the German Sickness Funds and the European Commission. Charles Normand is Professor of Health Policy at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and was head of the Department of Public Health and Policy from 1993 to 1998. David Dror is senior specialist for health questions within the Social Security Department. Previously he was Director of the Labor Relations Department in the Israeli Employers' Federation. Alexander Preker is Lead Economist for the Health, Nutrition, and Population (HNP) sector of the World Bank.