Healthcare System in the Model of a Liberal Country on the Example of Switzerland

In the end of September 2014 there was a referendum held in Switzerland on changing the existing healthcare system on a state based single-payer healthcare system. Although this system is not completely based on the market principles, it differs in a few aspects from the solutions applied in the other European countries, where the state is responsible for the access to the medical services. The main purpose of this work is to present the healthcare system under conditions of a liberal country (on the example of Switzerland). The work will present the advantages and disadvantages of this kind of system (as well economical as social). On this basis there will be made an attempt to formulate the recommendations on the form and principles of functioning of the healthcare systems in the other countries. The Swiss case is important because it shows, that if the market powers are allowed to act unrestrained, they will ensure high quality of goods and services and although in the Swiss healthcare system many key areas are subject to regulations, there are still less regulations than in the other countries. Following documents were used for the purpose of the researching part: the ranking Euro Health Consumer Index (2013) evaluating the quality of the European healthcare systems and the report OECD Health at Glance (2013) on the world healthcare systems.