Państwo w systemach ochrony zdrowia: kierunki i perspektywy

The aim of the paper is to identify main directions in reforming national health care systems from the point of view of the role of the state as a principal in health care systems (with a special emphasis on EU countries). It is argued in the paper that between 1995 and 2010 in majority of the EU member states a slow but persistent trend of withdrawal of the state from financing health care systems can be observed. Kutzin’s insurance function is being continuously reduced. Among other consequences it leads toward increasing the share of private and out of the pocket expenses in total expenses on health. This relates especially to new EU post communist member states.