Health policy in the financial crisis

This article summarises the results of a study on how European countries have responded to budgetary pressures in the context of the global economic crisis. The study highlights the wide range of health policy responses and notes some of the trade-offs involved. To date, national governments in the European Union (EU) have been largely responsible for making these trade-offs but where countries are receiving bailout packages, international organisations are now directly intervening in national health policies. Regardless of who the decision maker is, these trade-offs should be understood and made explicit. Ideally, policy decisions should be guided by a focus on enhancing value in the health system rather than on identifying areas in which cuts might most easily be made.