Latvia

Health systems in transition
Latvia
Contents
Preface......................................................................................................... vii
Acknowledgements.......................................................................................ix
List of abbreviations......................................................................................xi
List of tables and figures............................................................................. xiii
Abstract...................................................................................................... xvii
Executive summary.....................................................................................xix
1. Introduction..........................................................................................1
1.1 Geography and sociodemography..................................................1
1.2 Economic context...........................................................................3
1.3 Political context..............................................................................8
1.4 Health status.................................................................................13
2. Organizational structure.....................................................................29
2.1 Overview of the health system.....................................................29
2.2 Historical background..................................................................31
2.3 Organizational overview..............................................................35
2.4 Decentralization and centralization..............................................49
2.5 Patient empowerment...................................................................54
3. Financing............................................................................................61
3.1 Overview......................................................................................61
3.2 Health expenditure.......................................................................64
3.3 Population coverage and basis for entitlement............................74
Population coverage.................................................................74
Benefits.....................................................................................77
3.4 Revenue collection/sources of funds............................................79
3.5 Pooling of funds...........................................................................92
3.6 Purchasing and purchaser–provider relations..............................93
3.7 Payment mechanisms...................................................................95
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