No description available.

This dissertation is a histo-graphic account of the origins and evolution of private health funding in South Africa. It commences with a history of medicine within the context of the provision of health care and health funding. The arrival of the Dutch and the influence of the different rulers are highlighted throughout the different eras, up to the formation of the first private medical scheme in 1889. From this point onward, the historical development of private health funding is recorded with due consideration of the appointed commissions of enquiry and legislative developments. The dissertation concludes with a review of the study.

No description available.

Social health . lnsurance in developed countries , lS facing problems concerning cost control. In developing countries, problems are of low coverage, the provision of care to include access to the private sector, equity in access to services, as well as cost control. In Thailand, the recently introduced social insurance scheme requires the insured or their employer to select a main contractor to provide care a general hospital with >100 beds - which is paid on a capitation basis. In response the private sector is developing provider networks to ensure health services to be more accessible and to attract insured workers to enroll with the network. The primary concern of the research is to evaluate MEDSEC, the biggest private network in terms of the number of facilities and insured covered. Nopparat, the biggest publicly-organized network, was selected for comparison with MEDSEC. The aim is to identify policy recommendations regarding networks and their internal payment mechanisms. The obj ecti ves are to examine: how MEDSEC is organized and how it has grown over time; the health seeking behaviour of the insured of MEDSEC; and the utilization rate, payment system, and quality of care of MEDSEC. Four substudies were done: the MEDSEC operating and financial system; the health seeking behaviour of the insured, their utilization rate, knowledge, and satisfaction; the providers' knowledge and attitudes; and evaluation of quality of care concerning four aspects: infrastructure, patient satisfaction, outpatient drug treatment, and inpatient care. The study identifies policy implications concerning the functions of a good network office, the monitoring of a network's quality of care, the payment system of networks, and improving the knowledge of the insured concerning the regulation on access to care.

Chronic diseases of lifestyle (CDLs) are on the increase in South Africa and appears to be increasing the financial burden on the economy. Biokinetics is a health profession addressing CDL, with exercise as the treatment modality. The scope of practice includes the prevention and treatment of CDL. Biokinetics as a profession has been registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA), previously the South African Medical and Dental Council (SAMDC), since 1983. In this period of 25 years, the profession has only been practising in the private health care sector of South Africa. There have been no investigations to determine the market demand for this health profession. Therefore the purpose of this investigation is to determine the potential market demand for biokinetics in the private health care sector of South Africa. This investigation will take into account the potential market demand based on the patients that can be treated for CDL by biokinetics, and not the number of persons that are at risk of developing CDL. For this investigation secondary data from a pharmaceutical benefit management company (PBM) were analysed to determine the prevalence of chronic diseases in the private health care sector based on chronic medication usage in 2007. These numbers were linked to the postal codes that made it possible to determine the medication usage at municipality level. Telephonic interviews provided information about the average number of patients treated per biokineticist per month, while the number of biokineticists with active practice numbers were obtained from the Board of Health Care Funders (BHF). The results indicate that about 56% (911,212 out of 1,600,000) of the subscribers managed by the PBM were treated with medication for CDL. The prevalence of non-steroid anti-inflammatory medication (20.8%) gave an indication of medication prescribed mostly for chronic musculo-skeletal injuries. Cardiovascular diseases (13.1%), bronchodilators (10.95%) and hypertension (9.8%) were the most prevalent chronic diseases treated with medication. In 2007, the profession consisted of 284 biokinetic practices with 625 actively practicing biokineticists. The majority of the practices were located in Gauteng (130) with 63 in the Western Cape. The sub-sample of 50 biokineticists indicated that an average of 100 patients can realistically be treated by one biokineticist per month. The potential market demand calculated from these figures indicate that 9,112 biokineticists are needed in the private health care sector. These numbers indicate that in 2007, only an estimated 6.2% of CDL could potentially be treated by the number of registered biokineticists. The conclusion that can be drawn from this study is that there is an immense potential market for biokinetics in the private health care sector. This study has only investigated the diseased persons and has not taken into account those who are at risk of developing a chronic disease of lifestyle, which are also treated by biokinetics intervention with exercise as modality. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2010.

Chronic diseases of lifestyle (CDLs) are on the increase in South Africa and appears to be increasing the financial burden on the economy. Biokinetics is a health profession addressing CDL, with exercise as the treatment modality. The scope of practice includes the prevention and treatment of CDL. Biokinetics as a profession has been registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA), previously the South African Medical and Dental Council (SAMDC), since 1983. In this period of 25 years, the profession has only been practising in the private health care sector of South Africa. There have been no investigations to determine the market demand for this health profession. Therefore the purpose of this investigation is to determine the potential market demand for biokinetics in the private health care sector of South Africa. This investigation will take into account the potential market demand based on the patients that can be treated for CDL by biokinetics, and not the number of persons that are at risk of developing CDL. For this investigation secondary data from a pharmaceutical benefit management company (PBM) were analysed to determine the prevalence of chronic diseases in the private health care sector based on chronic medication usage in 2007. These numbers were linked to the postal codes that made it possible to determine the medication usage at municipality level. Telephonic interviews provided information about the average number of patients treated per biokineticist per month, while the number of biokineticists with active practice numbers were obtained from the Board of Health Care Funders (BHF). The results indicate that about 56% (911,212 out of 1,600,000) of the subscribers managed by the PBM were treated with medication for CDL. The prevalence of non-steroid anti-inflammatory medication (20.8%) gave an indication of medication prescribed mostly for chronic musculo-skeletal injuries. Cardiovascular diseases (13.1%), bronchodilators (10.95%) and hypertension (9.8%) were the most prevalent chronic diseases treated with medication. In 2007, the profession consisted of 284 biokinetic practices with 625 actively practicing biokineticists. The majority of the practices were located in Gauteng (130) with 63 in the Western Cape. The sub-sample of 50 biokineticists indicated that an average of 100 patients can realistically be treated by one biokineticist per month. The potential market demand calculated from these figures indicate that 9,112 biokineticists are needed in the private health care sector. These numbers indicate that in 2007, only an estimated 6.2% of CDL could potentially be treated by the number of registered biokineticists. The conclusion that can be drawn from this study is that there is an immense potential market for biokinetics in the private health care sector. This study has only investigated the diseased persons and has not taken into account those who are at risk of developing a chronic disease of lifestyle, which are also treated by biokinetics intervention with exercise as modality. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2010.

MFamMed, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, 2010

The purpose of this study was to investigate the health service delivery by private health sector and develop guidelines to enhance provision of health service so as to increase their contribution in the country’s health system. Interviews with 1112 participants were conducted in phase I. Descriptive statistics, chi square tests and logistic regression analysis were used for analysis. Private health facilities (30.5%) were providing healthcare services in their own buildings that were constructed for that purpose while others work in a rented houses built for residence or others. Some facilities (11.7%) received loan services from financial institutions in the region. A significant association was found between obtaining loan and owning building for healthcare services delivery (x2=13.99, p<0.001). Private health facilities were mainly engaged in profit driven and curative services while their participation in the promotive and preventive services like FP, ANC HIV test, TB and malaria prevention and control was not minimal. Majority, 247 (96.5%) provide services for extended hours out of normal working time such as evening, weekends and holidays. Physicians, more than other professionals were found practicing part time work (dual practice). Service consumers of the private health sector were urban dwellers 417 (71.6%) and 165 (28.4%) rural residents. Nearly three-fourth (73.0%) of study participants had a history of multiple visits to both public and private health facilities for current medical condition. Median payment of patients in a single visit including diagnosis and medicine was 860 birr ($30.85) (IQR = 993 ($35.62). Only 2.1% have paid through insurance services while others through out of pocket payments. Price of services delivered in private health facilities were set mainly by owners’ will (91.4%) while others with established team. Satisfaction on the fairness of prices to services obtained from each facility were reported by 63.1% service consumers. Those patients without any companion (AOR=1.83, 95% CI=1.16-2.91) and no history of visit to other facilities (AOR=1.97, 95% CI=1.24-3.12) were more likely to be satisfied than those coming with companions and those with history of visit. In addition, as age of consumers increase, satisfaction to services prices tend to decline (AOR=0.97, 95% CI=0.96-0.99). Uncomplimentary regulatory system to private health facilities, lack of training and continuing education for health professionals, unavailability of enough health workforce in the market and shortage of supplies to private facilities were among main gaps disclosed. Based on findings, five guidelines were developed to enhance health services delivery in the private health sector, namely, increase facilitation for financial access to actors in the sector, increase facilitation to access regular updating trainings and continuing education for healthcare workers, enhance and scale up the capability of existing association in the private health sector, strengthen and support working for extended hours to promote user friendly services and accessibility of healthcare services for the poor through community based health insurance and exemption. Therefore, these recommendations to help enhance the private health sector for better performance and contribution. / Health Studies / D.Lit.Phil (Health Studies

This thesis analyzes the private health insurance as a supplement to public health insurance in the Czech Republic. The first part discusses the theoretical concepts and the definition of insurance in the Czech insurance market. Concurrently carried out in detail the previous and upcoming reforms of health system. The second part focuses on the analysis of the impact of the introduction of commercial health insurance products to insurance economics and the economy forecast of further development in this area.

Ένα από τα εργαλεία της χρηματοοικονομικής διαχείρισης είναι και η ανάλυση των ισολογισμών των επιχειρήσεων με αριθμοδείκτες για την λήψη αποφάσεων. Σκοπός της διπλωματικής εργασίας είναι η αποτύπωση μιας ολοκληρωμένης εικόνας για την οικονομική θέση των εταιρειών του κλάδου ιδιωτικών μονάδων υγείας το χρονικό διάστημα 2007-2011 αξιοποιώντας τους αριθμοδείκτες από τους δημοσιευμένους ισολογισμούς των εξεταζόμενων επιχειρήσεων. / -