Regional OutlookCentral Eastern Europe

The Central Eastern Europe regional outlook presents a comparative assessment of the historical development of the healthcare system, health politics, and selected health-related indicators for the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia. In terms of health financing, these countries rely on compulsory contributory insurance, which is complemented with out-of-pocket spending (highest in Poland) and with voluntary private insurance in Slovenia. While health outcomes are steadily improving, there are high levels of health inequalities. Unmet needs vary dramatically across the region, being the highest in Poland and the lowest in Slovenia, which is also reflected in cross-regional differences in satisfaction. Salience of healthcare is lower than in other European regions, but in most countries, it increased during government attempts to introduce market-oriented reforms. The key issues in Central Eastern Europe have been indebtedness of the public health sector and high levels of perceived corruption in Hungary, Slovakia, and Poland, the countries with the lowest satisfaction. As the chapter notes, a hotly debated issue in the region is privatization of the hospital sector, marked by strong public and political opposition.