Paper/Speech Details of Conference Program for the 18th NISPAcee Annual Conference Program Overview Panel on Comparative Health Reforms in CEE Author(s) Sandor Gallai Institute for Public Policy Research Budapest Hungary Balázs Dobos Title Politics and Policy-Making - Health Reform in Hungary File Paper files are available only for conference participants, please login first. Presenter Abstract The paper gives a brief but comprehensive outline of health reform in post-communist Hungary. It will discuss the issues of structural changes, privatisation, financial reforms, and policy management in the sector. Particular attention will be devoted to the politics of reform attempts and the two referendums that have practically impeded the introduction of crucial policy measures. There are examples of fruitful cooperation between policy makers and social/professional groups. However, the over-politicised nature of organised interests and the capacity problems of patient groups do not favour the emergence of an effective policy community of health professionals. Moreover, weak foundations of rule of law present a serious cultural problem to policy makers. Corruption, conflict of interests, cheating and misreporting at health institutions explain the regular return of policy-makers to bureaucratic forms of governance that are based on administrative intervention and command-and-control mechanisms.
