Health Systems in Transition - Hungary - World Health Organization ...

60
Health systems in transition Hungary
Office for Europe, 2011). The economic stabilization policies implemented by
the government in 1995 and 1996 were continued by the next administration,
at least with regard to the health sector.
Table 3.1
Trends in health expenditure in Hungary, 1995–2009
1995 2000 2005 2008 2009
Total expenditure on health (billions of HUF) 420 939 1831 1933 1940
Total expenditure on health (billions of US$ at PPP) a 6.8 8.7 14.2 14.4 n/a
Total expenditure on health, US$ per capita at PPP, WHO estimates 658 853 1411 1495.5 1510.7
Total expenditure on health as % of GDP 7.3 7.0 8.3 7.2 7.4
Public expenditure on health as % of total expenditure on health 84.0 70.7 72.3 71.0 69.7
Private expenditure on health as % of total expenditure on health 16.0 29.3 27.7 29.0 30.3
Public expenditure on health as % of total government spending a 11.3 10.6 12.0 10.5 n/a
Public expenditure on health as % of GDP 6.1 5.0 6.0 5.1 5.2
Private expenditure on health as % of GDP 1.2 2.1 2.3 2.1 2.3
Out-of-pocket payments as % of total expenditure on health 16.0 26.3 23.8 23.8 23.7
Out-of-pocket payments as % of private expenditure on health 100.0 89.8 85.9 82.1 78.2
Out-of-pocket payments as % of GDP 1.2 1.8 2.0 1.7 1.8
Spending through voluntary health insurance as % of total expenditure
on health
0.0 0.2 1.1 2.2 2.7
Spending through voluntary health insurance as % of private
expenditure on health
0.0 0.6 4.1 7.4 7.4
Spending through voluntary health insurance as % of total expenditure
on health
– 0.2 1.1 2.1 2.7
Spending through voluntary health insurance as % of private
expenditure on health
– 0.6 4.1 7.4 7.4
Sources: OECD (2011); a WHO Regional Office for Europe.
Due to a large increase in public sector wages in 2002, public expenditure
on health increased as well, peaking for the second time since 1994 at around
6.0% of GDP between 2003 and 2005 (WHO Regional Office for Europe,
2011). However, austerity measures aiming to meet the financial criteria for
introducing the euro in Hungary substantially reduced public spending on
health, as did a spate of additional cost-containment measures taken in the wake
of the global economic crisis, which hit Hungary with full force in the autumn
of 2008. In late 2010, the macroeconomic climate was still unfavourable, and
the government had little choice but to observe the deficit target set by the
EU and the IMF, both of which appear to have taken a hard line as a result
of the financial crisis in several EU countries. Substantial increases in public
spending on health should therefore not be expected in the near future, despite
government declarations to the contrary (Government of the Republic of
Hungary, 2010a).