Here is Professor Christopher J. Gerry's abstract for his article on 'Reforming voluntary drug insurance in Russian healthcare: does social solidarity matter?':
Less than 5% of the Russian population have access to free outpatient drug treatment. This represents a major policy challenge for a country grappling with reforms of its healthcare system and experiencing low economic growth and drastic cuts to spending on social services.
This new paper examines the attitudes of the Russian population towards drug policies in general and towards the introduction of a proposed voluntary drug insurance system in particular. It finds that:
- The negative attitude of higher income groups towards the redistribution of wealth to the poor provides a powerful obstacle to the introduction and success of any voluntary drug insurance scheme;
- Russia currently lacks the breadth and depth of social solidarity necessary for implementing this form of health financing; and
- If introduced without careful planning and preparation therefore, the scheme will collapse under the preponderance of opt-ins from high-risk unhealthy individuals.
Please follow this link to access the full article.