8th ESPAnet Conference 2010Social Policy and the Global Crisis:
|
11.3. Post-crises Health Policies: Challenges and Opportunities
The impact of the economic crises on health status and health care systems is hard to predict. While there are general tendencies, the concrete effects and policy responses are shaped by national economic, social and political contexts and institutional factors of the health systems to a great extent.
Due to decreased revenue and increasing public debt, health and social expenditures are expected to recover slower than the rest of the economy. The economic downturn makes the challenges created by ageing more acute. It also increases the need for inter-sectoral coordination of policies to mitigate the effects of the crisis on the most vulnerable groups of population.
All these have shed sharp light on the key perennial challenge of health policies: how to reconcile the requirements of fiscal sustainability and the long-term goals of achieving the most efficient, equitable and responsive health system that is possible. Policy responses may differ. Some governments are already reducing public expenditures under the economic and budgetary pressures, which may have harmful effects on the access to and quality of care. In other countries – where in the pre-crisis period inability to implement reforms characterised the health policies – the crisis may create better opportunity for structural reforms.
The stream intends to discuss how the economic crisis is affecting health systems; and what are the common and different characteristics of the policy responses – both in terms of the content and the process of health policies. How has the crisis affected the values, goals, priorities and tools of health policies? To what extent has the crisis forced the governments to re-think health policies and find new strategies? Under what circumstances may the crisis create better opportunities for structural reforms, and under what circumstances may it further narrow the latitude of the governments?
Convenor:
Prof. Dr. Éva Orosz
Head of Health Policy and Health Economics Department
Faculty of Social Sciences
Eötvös Loránd University
H-1117 Budapest, Hungary
Pázmány Péter sétány 1/A
Tel: (36-1) 372 2500 / ext: 6348
Fax: +36 1 372 2992
E-mail: oroszeva@gmail.com
Friday, 17:00-19:00 Room 01, Session 11.3/A
Presentations
1. Tanja Klenk: The Global financial crisis: A Challenge for the hospital industry [abstract] [paper]
2. Liina-Kaisa Tynkkynen & Juhani Lehto: Do recessions make difference? – Market oriented policy tools in the times of recessions [abstract] [paper]
3. Even Nilssen - Nanna Kildal: Demographic crises and ageing policy ideas in the field of health and long-term care. Comparing the EU the WHO and the OECD [abstract] [paper]
Contributed papers:
-
Saturday, 9:00-11:00 Room 01, Session 11.3/B
Presentations:
1. Ágota Scharle: Integration for disabled workers in Hungary – the role of rehabilitation services and sheltered employment [abstract] [paper]
Contributed papers:
-
Important dates
17 November 2009 = Call for stream convenors
18 December 2009 = Deadline for stream convenors
25 January 2010 = Call for abstracts
29 March 2010 = Deadline for abstract submission
3 May 2010 = Registration starts
6 June 2010 = Reduced fee application deadline
21 June 2010 24:00 (CET) = Early bird registration deadline
13 August 2010 24:00 (CET) - Deadline for submission of papers
16 August 2010 - Deadline for Registrations and payments
Registration fee is 160 Euros for early birds, 210 Euros for late birds. Central and Eastern European PhD students and professionals can apply for a reduced fee of 60 Euros at info@espanet2010.net until 6th June.
Registration opens on the 3rd May, early bird registration closes on the 21th June at 24:00 (CET).
Theme of the Conference
The theme of ESPAnet’s 2010 Annual Conference is the social consequences of the global financial crisis and its differential impact across Europe. The main questions for consideration include:
How is the crisis affecting already existing inequalities? How are different social classes and groups, especially those in poverty, affected by the crisis? What are the adaptable capacities of the different “worlds of welfare”? Does the intensifying social vulnerability lead to the re-structuring of the programs to provide more security? How far have new programs been developed, and how far have new questions of social policy and welfare been opened up by the crisis?
We would like to broaden the horizon of social policy analysis and see global environmental concerns taken into account: How far are responses to the crisis re-thinking the role of the national and international/global state and the role of the European Union in creating economically, socially and environmentally sustainable societies?