The principle of equality is the ideological basis for the public healthcare system in most Western countries. Equality in availability of and access to healthcare services is an essential condition for fulfilling the “patient-centered” perspective that prevails today in many healthcare systems around the world. Equality in health, in its various aspects, is a value to which many aspire, although some extent of inequality and health will always exist. Since some disparities in health are unavoidable and individuals are free to live as they wish, there will always be gaps among population groups in their abilities and willingness to invest in their health.
This Research Topic focuses on the subject topic of Health Economics Disparities and Inequality: Today’s Reality and Tomorrow’s Challenges. In this issue, we will present a series of comprehensive studies on questions that relate to the current reality of health disparities and economic inequality, map ways to mitigate the inequality—be this by citizens or by the state—raise ethical questions surrounding the existence and meaning of inequality in health, and tackle the various challenges that the healthcare system faces as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This Research Topic invites interested researchers to write articles on these matters, both empirical and theoretical, as well as encourages authors to submit comparative papers and articles from low- and middle-income countries.
Among the topics that this Research Topic is willing to host are especially (albeit, not exclusively) the following:
-International comparison regarding economic, norms and ethical healthcare aspects;
-Economic inequality and disparities in healthcare-service allocation and/or funding;
-Disparities and economic inequality in access to healthcare services;
-Disparities among population groups (by age, gender, race groups, education, migration, minorities etc.);
-The role of government in mitigating economic inequality, market failures and disparities in the healthcare system;
-The role of players in the healthcare arena: the GP, the insurer, the payer, the patient;
-Challenges in mitigating disparities pursuant to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The principle of equality is the ideological basis for the public healthcare system in most Western countries. Equality in availability of and access to healthcare services is an essential condition for fulfilling the “patient-centered” perspective that prevails today in many healthcare systems around the world. Equality in health, in its various aspects, is a value to which many aspire, although some extent of inequality and health will always exist. Since some disparities in health are unavoidable and individuals are free to live as they wish, there will always be gaps among population groups in their abilities and willingness to invest in their health.
This Research Topic focuses on the subject topic of Health Economics Disparities and Inequality: Today’s Reality and Tomorrow’s Challenges. In this issue, we will present a series of comprehensive studies on questions that relate to the current reality of health disparities and economic inequality, map ways to mitigate the inequality—be this by citizens or by the state—raise ethical questions surrounding the existence and meaning of inequality in health, and tackle the various challenges that the healthcare system faces as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This Research Topic invites interested researchers to write articles on these matters, both empirical and theoretical, as well as encourages authors to submit comparative papers and articles from low- and middle-income countries.
Among the topics that this Research Topic is willing to host are especially (albeit, not exclusively) the following:
-International comparison regarding economic, norms and ethical healthcare aspects;
-Economic inequality and disparities in healthcare-service allocation and/or funding;
-Disparities and economic inequality in access to healthcare services;
-Disparities among population groups (by age, gender, race groups, education, migration, minorities etc.);
-The role of government in mitigating economic inequality, market failures and disparities in the healthcare system;
-The role of players in the healthcare arena: the GP, the insurer, the payer, the patient;
-Challenges in mitigating disparities pursuant to the COVID-19 pandemic.
