Functional Analysis Of The Health Sector In Romania

This paper comprises an assessment of the Romanian health financing policy and a detailed analysis of income and expenditure trends over the past seven years. The current situation of the health system is evaluated by reviewing the existing health legislation and documents on public health policies from Romania and from abroad, by analyzing the official statistics (the Romanian Yearbook of Health Statistics, Who database) and by performing a healthcare system financial analysis. Although the financial efforts of the Romanian state to support the health system have increased, almost all the incomes and expenditures of the health care system having recorded significant increases, the population perception on health services worsened. Financing the health system continues to be inadequate and used in an ineffective way. Health is an essential component of well-being with major socio-economic implications. The organization and functioning of the health system depends on ensuring adequate funding. Romania must develop its health strategy in the context of European Union policies. These policies are based on values and principles such as promoting universal protection against financial risk, promoting a more equitable distribution of the financing burden, promoting equitable provision and use of services relative to need, improving the transparency and accountability of the system to the public, promoting quality and efficiency in service delivery, improving administrative efficiency, while ensuring the financial sustainability of the health system. In this context, in order to support a financially sustainable and high performing health system, the paper includes recommendations for increasing the public incomes in the health insurance system and options to streamline the healthcare services and expenses in the future.