Hammer, Jeffrey S.Filmer, DeonPritchett, Lant H.2013-12-272013-12-272002-01World Bank Research Observerhttps://hdl.handle.net/10986/16447This article presents an approach to public policy in health that comes directly from the literature on public economics. It identifies two characteristic market failures in health. The first is the existence of large externalities in the control of many infectious diseases that are mostly addressed by standard public health interventions. The second is the widespread breakdown of insurance markets that leave people exposed to catastrophic financial losses. Other essential considerations in setting priorities in health are the degree to which policies address poverty and inequality and the practicality of implementing policies given limited administrative capacities. Priorities based on these criteria tend to differ substantially from those commonly prescribed by the international community.en-USCC BY-NC-ND 3.0 IGOACCESS TO LIFE-SAVING CAREADMINISTRATIVE COSTSADVERSE SELECTIONAGGREGATE HEALTH EXPENDITURESARTICLEASYMMETRIC INFORMATIONBASIC SANITATIONBENEFICIARIESBENEFITS OF PUBLIC SPENDINGBLINDNESSCENTRAL GOVERNMENTCHILD HEALTHCHILD HEALTH CARECLINICAL SERVICESCLINICSCOMMUNICABLE DISEASE CONTROLCOMMUNICABLE DISEASESCOMMUNITY HEALTHCOST CONTROLCOST RECOVERYCROWDINGDEBTDELIVERY OF SERVICESDEMAND FOR HEALTHDEMAND FOR SERVICESDEMAND FOR TREATMENTDEVELOPING COUNTRIESDIETDISEASE CONTROLDISTRIBUTION OF INCOMEDISTRIBUTIONAL IMPACTDOCTORSECONOMIC EFFICIENCYECONOMIC PERSPECTIVESECONOMIC REVIEWELASTICITIESEMERGENCY CAREEPIDEMIOLOGICAL TRANSITIONEQUILIBRIUMEQUITY CONSIDERATIONSESSENTIAL DRUGSESSENTIAL HEALTH CAREEXPENDITURESEXTERNALITIESFAMILIESFAMILY PLANNINGFINANCIAL BURDENFINANCIAL LOSSFINANCIAL PROTECTIONGOVERNMENT EXPENDITURESGOVERNMENT POLICYHEALTH CARE FINANCINGHEALTH CARE MARKETSHEALTH CARE PROGRAMSHEALTH CARE PROVIDERSHEALTH CARE SERVICESHEALTH CARE WORKERSHEALTH CENTERSHEALTH EDUCATIONHEALTH EXPENDITUREHEALTH EXPENDITURESHEALTH INSURANCEHEALTH INSURANCE MARKETSHEALTH INTERVENTIONSHEALTH ORGANIZATIONHEALTH OUTCOMESHEALTH PLANHEALTH PLANSHEALTH POLICIESHEALTH POLICYHEALTH PROBLEMSHEALTH PROFESSIONALSHEALTH RESOURCESHEALTH SECTORHEALTH SERVICESHEALTH STATUSHEALTH SYSTEMHEALTH SYSTEMSHOSPITAL CAREHOSPITAL SERVICESHOSPITAL SPENDINGHOSPITAL TREATMENTHOSPITALSHOUSEHOLD EXPENDITUREHOUSEHOLD INCOMEHYGIENEILLITERATE POPULATIONILLNESSILLNESSESIMMUNIZATIONIMMUNIZATIONSIMPACT ON HEALTHIMPERFECT INFORMATIONINCENTIVES FOR DOCTORSINCIDENCE ANALYSISINCIDENCE OF PUBLIC SPENDINGINCOMEINCOME ELASTICITYINCOME ELASTICITY OF DEMANDINCOME GROUPSINDUCED DEMANDINFECTIOUS DISEASESINFORMATION PROBLEMSINJURIESINSURANCEINSURANCE COVERAGEINSURANCE MARKETINSURANCE MARKETSINTERNATIONAL COMMUNITYINTERVENTIONLACK OF INFORMATIONLIVING CONDITIONSLOW-INCOME COUNTRIESMALARIAMARGINAL COSTMARKET FAILUREMARKET FAILURESMEDICAL CAREMEDICAL EXPENSESMEDICAL PERSONNELMEDICAL TREATMENTMEDICAREMINISTRIES OF HEALTHMINISTRY OF HEALTHMONETARY TERMSMORAL HAZARDNATIONAL HEALTHNATIONAL HEALTH SYSTEMNONGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONSNURSESNUTRITIONOLD AGEOUTPATIENT SERVICESPATIENTSPEACEPOLICY DECISIONSPOLICY RESEARCHPOLICY RESPONSEPOLIOPOVERTY ASSESSMENTPOVERTY IMPACTPOVERTY REDUCTIONPRACTITIONERSPRIMARY CAREPRIMARY EDUCATIONPRIMARY HEALTH CAREPRIVATE GOODSPRIVATE HEALTH INSURANCEPRIVATE INSURANCEPRIVATE MARKETPRIVATE MARKETSPRIVATE PROVIDERSPRIVATE SECTORPRIVATE SECTORSPROGRAM OBJECTIVESPUBLIC ACTIONPUBLIC AUTHORITYPUBLIC ECONOMICSPUBLIC EMPLOYEESPUBLIC EXPENDITUREPUBLIC EXPENDITURE ON HEALTHPUBLIC EXPENDITURESPUBLIC FINANCEPUBLIC GOODSPUBLIC HEALTHPUBLIC HEALTH ACTIVITIESPUBLIC HEALTH CAREPUBLIC HEALTH INSURANCEPUBLIC HEALTH INTERVENTIONSPUBLIC HEALTH PROGRAMSPUBLIC HEALTH SERVICESPUBLIC HEALTH SPENDINGPUBLIC HOSPITALPUBLIC HOSPITAL SERVICESPUBLIC HOSPITALSPUBLIC INTERVENTIONPUBLIC INTERVENTIONSPUBLIC INVOLVEMENTPUBLIC MONEYPUBLIC OFFICIALSPUBLIC POLICYPUBLIC PROVIDERSPUBLIC PROVISIONPUBLIC RESOURCESPUBLIC SECTORPUBLIC SECTOR INVOLVEMENTPUBLIC SERVICESPUBLIC SPENDINGPUBLIC SUBSIDIESQUALITY SERVICESRADIOSAFE WATERSANITATIONSECTOR POLICIESSOCIAL BENEFITSOCIAL HEALTH INSURANCESOCIAL INDICATORSSOCIAL PROGRAMSTAX INCIDENCETAX REFORMTAXPAYERSTELEVISIONTRADITIONAL HEALERSTUBERCULOSISUNCERTAINTYUNINTENDED CONSEQUENCESVACCINATIONVACCINATIONSWELFARE LOSSWORKERSWORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATIONJournal ArticleWorld Bank10.1596/16447