Prevalence and Generosity of Health Insurance Coverage: A Comparison of EU Member States

Abstract

The concept of health insurance coverage can be resolved into two different components: “prevalence” (who is insured) and “generosity” (what is guaranteed) of the insurance. This article first provides data on the prevalence of health insurance, whether public or private, in the EU member countries. Residents in EU countries without primary health insurance currently amount to 7.7 million (corresponding to 1.5 per cent of the population). To appraise the “generosity” of insurance coverage, two indicators are used: out-of-pocket expenditure and self-reported “unmet medical needs”. What emerges is a positive, albeit moderately intense, relationship between prevalence and generosity of health insurance coverage.

Keywords:

• universal healthcare
• health coverage
• European Union
• comparative health policy
• unmet medical needs
• great recession
• comparative analysis

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Federico Toth

Federico Toth is Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Bologna. His research interests include comparative health policy and systems in Europe and OECD countries. He is the research director of the Centre for Comparative Public Policy (CCPP), University of Bologna.