Docteur, Elizabeth2012-08-132012-08-132009-08https://hdl.handle.net/10986/10231The ongoing financial and economic crisis has hit hard the lives of citizens in Eastern Europe and Central Asian (ECA) countries. Economic growth has started to dip, unemployment is rising and government revenues are expected to fall. The crisis is having a direct impact on the ability of households to pay for health care, a situation that will likely be exacerbated as real government spending on health care declines in many countries due to reduced revenues from the general government budget and payroll-funded health insurance. Patients may have to pay higher prices for health care, make do with reduced access to necessary health services and medicines, and face other health-related financial hardships as well. This brief draws on the experience of countries (outside ECA) in coping with public financing shortfalls, to provide suggestions for mitigating the impact on ECA households of reduced public health spending. First, however, it is important to examine private health spending patterns in the ECA region.CC BY 3.0 IGOACCESS TO CAREACCESS TO HEALTH CAREACCESS TO SERVICESCHILD HEALTHCOMMUNICABLE DISEASESCOST SHARINGCOST-SHARING REQUIREMENTSDECISION MAKINGDRUGSFAMILIESFINANCIAL BARRIERSFINANCIAL CATASTROPHEGROWTH IN HEALTH SPENDINGHEALTH CAREHEALTH CARE DELIVERYHEALTH CARE FACILITIESHEALTH CARE FINANCEHEALTH CARE PROVIDERSHEALTH CARE SERVICESHEALTH EXPENDITUREHEALTH EXPENDITURESHEALTH FINANCINGHEALTH INSURANCEHEALTH ORGANIZATIONHEALTH PROFESSIONALSHEALTH SECTORHEALTH SERVICEHEALTH SERVICE USEHEALTH SERVICESHEALTH SYSTEMSHEALTH-CAREHEALTH-CARE SYSTEMSHOMELESS PEOPLEHOSPITALSHOUSEHOLD EXPENDITUREHOUSEHOLD INCOMEINCOMEINCOME COUNTRIESINCOME GROUPSINFORMAL PAYMENTSINFORMAL SECTORINFORMAL SECTOR WORKERSINFORMATION CAMPAIGNSINFORMATION SYSTEMINPATIENT CAREINSURANCEMEDICAL TECHNOLOGIESMEDICINESNUTRITIONOUTPATIENT CAREPATIENTSPAYMENTS FOR HEALTH SERVICESPAYMENTS FOR INSURANCEPOCKET PAYMENTSPOCKET PAYMENTS FOR HEALTH CAREPREGNANCYPREVENTIVE HEALTH CAREPRIMARY CAREPRIMARY HEALTH CAREPRIVATE HEALTH INSURANCEPRIVATE INSURANCEPRIVATE SECTORPRIVATE SPENDINGPUBLIC EXPENDITUREPUBLIC EXPENDITURE ON HEALTHPUBLIC HEALTHPUBLIC HEALTH SERVICESPUBLIC HEALTH SPENDINGPUBLIC SECTORPUBLIC SPENDINGREIMBURSEMENT RATESSPECIALISTTREATMENTSTUBERCULOSISUNEMPLOYMENTWORKERSWorld Bank10.1596/10231