F2 FORUM
Organised by DG Health and Consumers of the European Commission
As a result of the financial and economic crisis, several Member States of the European Union reduced their budgets which led to a drop in health expenditure for the first time in decades.
Beyond the possible direct or indirect effects on the health of the population, budgetary constraints force countries to rethink how to reform their health systems to make them fit for purpose to address growing challenges such as an ageing population, patients’ expectations and technological progress with at times decreased resources.
In these parallel forum sessions the speakers will:
• Highlight the need for effective investments in health systems and the health status of the population
• Exemplify areas of investing in health that could lead to gains in efficiency of public spending, to better quality of care and to reducing inequalities in health
• Discuss different approaches to the reform of national health systems in the EU, including through prevention and health promotion
• Highlight examples of policy innovation in health systems
• Showcase good practice from member countries of the European Union
Introduction
Josep Figueras, Director, European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies
Investing in health
Paola Testori Coggi, Director General, Health and Consumers, European Commission
Where to invest, where to cut? Healthcare reforms in times of austerity
Raed Arafat, Secretary of State for Health, Ministry for Health, Romania
Miklós Szócska, Minister of State for Health, Ministry of Human Resources, Hungary
Paola Testori Coggi, Director General, Health and Consumers, European Commission
Introduction
Sylvain Giraud, Head of Unit, DG Health and Consumers, European Commission
Resolving the efficiency and quality dilemma – the Portuguese experience
Pedro Pita Barros, Professor of Economics, Centre for Economic Policy Research, UK
Health systems performance assessment – in search for the magic formula
Olivia Wigzell, Deputy Director General, Ministry of Health and Social Affairs, Sweden
Health Technology Assessment – opportunities and limitations
Rosanna Tarricone, Project Director, HTA Project at CERGAS, Bocconi University, Italy
Fostering cooperation in the EU on Health Technology Assesment
Tapani Piha, Head of Unit, DG Health and Consumers, European Commission
Patients’ perspective
Nicola Bedlington, Executive Director, European Patients’ Forum