Health economists bet on a “revolution” in the health system to address the crisis.

day “Public health before the crisis” at the University of Deusto.

-Experts in health economics draw together debate Basque Advisor Rafael Bengoa and the Counsellor Navarre Marta Vera a document prepared with the changes proposed by

– among other measures, the authors of the paper opt for selective financing of medical benefits, disinvestment in limited clinical value services or the creation of a performing Agency at State level

-alson proposed to modify the pharmaceutical co-payment system, retribution and allocation for results and efforts and the drafting of a General Law on public health

-next to Bengoa discussed document Marta Vera, Minister of health of the Government of Navarra and Ricard Meneu, Vice President of the Foundation Institute for research in health (IISS)

-the meeting is organized by the Health Economics Association (AES), the Basque Institute for health innovation (o + Berri) and Deusto Business School in anticipation of the XXXII Jornadas economy of Health held in Bilbao in may

Bilbao, January 2012.- the Director of health of the Basque Government, Rafael Bengoa, discussed in Bilbao by Marta Vera, Minister of health of the Government of Navarra, Ricard Meneu, Vice-Chairman of the Institute Research Foundation in health services (IISS), and Manuel García Goñi, Professor of applied economics at the Complutense University of Madrid, a document drawn up by several members of the Association of health economics (AES) on the way the health system should address the economic crisisMICA.

The own AES has organized the day ‘ health before the crisis ’ with the Basque Institute for health innovation (o + Berri) and the area of healthcare management of Deusto Business School to put on the table and address the different measures proposed for achieving a sustainable health care system from the economic point of view. Health Economics experts bet on a comprehensive reform of the national health system, with the aim of increasing the degree of the cost-effectiveness of the Spanish health system.

Thus, document focuses on the need for public health of belt-tightening ” and proposes the adoption of a multiannual plan of refinancing that commits both State and autonomy to deal with debts already incurred. It also consists of a list of 14 urgent action the system should take to successfully face the crisis. To begin with, opting for selective financing of medical benefits, medicines and technologies used in public centres, giving priority to the criteria of clinical effectiveness both in preventive interventions as diagnostic and therapeutic.

Similarly, the document calls for divestment, i.e. leave financed partially or completely medications, devices, apparatus, procedures or services with little clinical value. The AES also considers the need for an agency assessment of field State with autonomy and distanced from the autonomic, and central Governments whose objective would be in Spain inform decisions about financing, disinvestment and reinvestment, defining the medical indications on efficiency criteria, cost-effectiveness and safety ”.

new way to tackle costs

experts identify as unavoidable, in addition, transparency in management of lists of waiting and the reform of the inequitable and obsolete ” copayments system, modifying the design of the pharmaceutical eliminating co-pay the arbitrary ” distinction between assets and pensioners and implementing mechanisms for the protection of the weakest economically and the moreill s.

For health professionals, the AES proposes a fee according to results and efforts, thus linking form and payment formula to them with the objectives of the health of the system, such as avoiding paying for Act. Similarly, the document to discuss points out that payment by results should also be applied to the financing of the centres. Pay more to have healthy patients that not by having more decompensation of chronic patients with poor adherence to drug therapy ”, literally indicates.

Lastly, the importance that the letter attached to focus health care towards patients chronic, fragile and terminals, the prototype of medical to collaborate among these specialties deal with the problem of the weak institutionalization ” of the national health system and the weakness ” Ministry to govern it and proactive and collaborative development of a General Law on public health, by strengthening its structures, profoundly reviewing their programmes and activating their role of intervention in health policy, not only on health, but in all sectors ”.