%0 Journal Article
%T The sources of health care funding
%A Golinowska, Stanisława
%A Tambor, Marzena
%J Public Health and Governance
%V 2014
%R 10.4467/20842627OZ.14.022.3440
%N Volume 12, Issue 3
%P 205-217
%K health care funding, out-of-pocket health expenditure, social health insurance
%@ 1731-7398
%D 2015
%U https://ejournals.eu/en/journal/zdrowie-publiczne-i-zarzadzanie/article/zrodla-finansowania-opieki-zdrowotnej
%X 
	The question how to mobilize financial resources for health care is one of the most frequently asked questions in health care debates. It is also relevant in Poland, where although various health care reforms in the last two decades, there is still no consensus on how health care should be funded. 

	The ambiguous nature of health care services indicates that both public and private methods of funding should be applied in order to obtain the best value for money. In practice both private and public sources are used. However wealthier European countries, rely strongly on public solidarity-based funding. Whereas in the framework of public sources there is a never ending debate what is more effective: general taxation or insurance contribution. 

	Debate on private sources is still on the agenda as well, particularly in post socialistic countries. Private insurance or co-payment and what kind in both cases are the main question. 

	In this paper, we present a review of public and private methods of health care funding focusing on their main characteristics, their application in European countries, and their effects. TQhe analysis relies on secondary data, i.e. a review of the literature and health expenditure databases.