Trade in health services in the ASEAN region

Jutamas Arunanondchai and Carsten Fink

No 4147, Policy Research Working Paper Series from The World Bank

Abstract: Promoting quality health services to large population segments is a key ingredient to human and economic development. At its core, healthcare policymaking involves complex tradeoffs between promoting equitable and affordable access to a basic set of health services, creating incentives for efficiencies in the healthcare system, and managing constraints in government budgets. International trade in health services influences these tradeoffs. It presents opportunities for cost savings and access to better quality care, but it also raises challenges in promoting equitable and affordable access. Drawing on a research project of the ASEAN Economic Forum, this paper offers a discussion of trade policy in health services for the ASEAN region. It reviews the state of healthcare in the region, existing patterns of trade, and remaining barriers to trade. The paper also identifies policy measures that could further harness the benefits from trade in health services and address potential pitfalls that deeper integration may bring about.

Keywords: Health Monitoring&Evaluation; Health Law; Population Policies; Health Economics&Finance; Disease Control&Prevention (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2007-03-01
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-int
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (13)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSC ... ered/PDF/wps4147.pdf (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:4147

Access Statistics for this paper

More papers in Policy Research Working Paper Series from The World Bank 1818 H Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20433. Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Roula I. Yazigi ().