Abstract
The Swedish and the Swiss health-care systems are organized in strikingly different ways. In Sweden, most doctors work as salaried public-sector employees. In Switzerland physicians operate their own private businesses. Revenue is regulated on a fee-for-service basis. This discrepancy allows us to compare the effects of two payment schemes, which have been discussed widely in the health economics literature.1 On the one hand, we observe fixed prepayment in Sweden, said to ensure equal treatment of patients regardless of health status. On the other hand, we analyze the effects of fee-for-service payment, a method widely regarded as providing an incentive for the over-treatment of patients (the supplier-induced demand hypothesis).
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Bezzola M., and P. Martinsson (1998). Global budget vs. competing health insurance. In this Volume.
Blomqvist, A.G. (1991). The doctor as double agent: Information asymmetry, health insurance, and medical care, Journal of Health Economics 10, 411–432.
Blomqvist, A.G. (1992). The Swedish health care system — An economist’s view, Health Politics 21, 113–128.
Crivelli, L., and P. Zweifel (1998). Modeling cross-border care in the EU using a principalagent framework, in: Zweifel, P. (ed.), Health, the Medical Profession, and Regulation, Kluwer Academic Publisher: Boston, Dordrecht, London, 229–257.
Committee on Funding and Organization of Health Services and Medical Care (HSU 2000) (1993). International Perspectives on Health Care Reform in Sweden, Ministry of Health and Social Affairs.
Cromwell, J., and J.B. Mitchell (1986). Physician-induced demand for surgery, Journal of Health Economics 5, 293–313.
Domenighetti et al. (1993). Revisiting the Most Informed Consumer of Medical Services, International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care, Cambridge University Press.
Ellis, R.P., and T.G. McGuire (1990). Optimal payment systems for health services, Journal of Health Economics 9, 375–409.
Expert Group HSU 2000 (1993). Three Models for Health Care Reform in Sweden, Ministry of Health and Social Affairs.
Feldstein, M.S. (1974). Econometric studies of health economics, in: Kendrick, D.A., and M.D. Intriligator (eds.), Frontiers of quantitative economics, Vol. II, North-Holland: Amsterdam, 377–434.
Fischer, L., and A. Dozet (1998). Incentives for Innovation and Diffusion of New Technologies, In this Volume.
Gölte, L., and K. Hammes (1998). Licensing Doctors, In this Volume.
Hälso-och sjukvĂ¥rdslagen (Sweden’s Health and Medical Services Act), SFS 1982:763.
Immergut, E.M. (1992). Health Politics. Interests and Institutions in Western Europe, Cambridge University Press, 129-225.
Konkordat der Schweizer Krankenkassen (Federation of Swiss Sick Funds), annual statistics (excerpts), 1989 and 1993.
Landstinget Dalarna (Dalarna County Council) (1996), Workload for general practitioners in Dalarna county council, forthcoming.
Landstingsförbundet (Sweden’s Federation of county councils), annual statistics, 1994.
Lee, C.H. (1995). Optimal medical treatment under asymmetric information, Journal of Health Economics 14, 419–441.
McGuire, T.G., and M.V. Pauly (1991). Physician response to fee changes with multiple payers, Journal of Health Economics 10(4), 385–410.
Milgrom, P., and J. Roberts (1992). Economics, organization and management, Prentice Hall: New Jersey.
Mueller D.C. (1989). Public Choice II, Cambridge University Press, New York.
Niskanen, W.A. (1971). Bureaucracy and Representative Government, Aldine Atherton: Chicago and New York.
Rehnberg, C. (1990). The organization of public health care — An economic analysis of the Swedish health care system, Linköping Studies in Arts and Science 58, Linköping.
Rochaix, L. (1989). Information asymmetry and search in the market for physicians’ services, Journal of Health Economics 8, 53–84.
Rochaix, L. (1993). Financial incentives for physicians: The Quebec experience, Health Economics 2, 163–176.
Schweizerische Ă„rztegesellschaft FMH (Swiss Medical Association), member statistics, 1989 and 1993.
Socialstyrelsen (Sweden’s National Board of Health and Welfare), SOS 1994:9.
Statistiska CentralbyrĂ¥n (Statistics Sweden), Health in Sweden, Yearbook of Health Statistics 1991/92.
Swedish Health Service at the Crossroads (1992). Health Policy 21/2, special issue, 95-166.
Wedig, G.J. (1993). Ramsey pricing and supply-side incentives in physician markets, Journal of Health Economics 12, 365–384.
Zweifel, P., and R. Eichenberger (1992). The Political Economy of Corporatism in Medicine: Self-Regulation or Cartel Management?, Journal of Regulatory Economics 4, 89–108.
Zweifel, P., and F. Breyer (1997). Health Economics, Oxford University Press: New York.
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1998 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Burström, K., Gisin, R. (1998). Price Setting for Doctors. In: Zweifel, P., Lyttkens, C.H., Söderström, L. (eds) Regulation of Health: Case Studies of Sweden and Switzerland. Developments in Health Economics and Public Policy, vol 7. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-4052-6_5
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-4052-6_5
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-6814-4
Online ISBN: 978-1-4615-4052-6
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive