Health public private mix and the basic package

Abstract

The basic package of health services is a key component of a public and private mix in health care. But to develop a basic package is a difficult task due to all constraints of public demand, health budget, and the population ability to pay. There are some elements that have to be taken into consideration and balanced in the evaluation of the health services. Universality, comprehensiveness, and type of services are the most critical, and within a given budget these components are difficult to be increased all at once. Therefore there are services that need to be left outside the basic package and to be covered with private schemes. In this evaluation the elasticity of health services can be used to define the behaviour of health services consumption and refine the decision. Key words: public and private mix, basic health package, health care.