Lebanon health sector financing : issues, problems and recommendations

The authors conclude that weaknesses in the existing financial structure suggest the need for a unified health sector policy centered on regulating the private sector, which currently provides 80-90% of the country"s health services. Consolidation of public sector reimbursements for all health services into a National Health Security System is recommended to achieve greater uniformity of benefits, foster equity of assessments required to fund operations, and permit the Government to sanction, positively or negatively, public and private health sector performance. Recommendations are also made, inter alia, to rehabilitate the public curative sector, improve performance at public health facilities, strengthen the financial base of the public hospital sector, strengthen primary health care, improve health manpower distribution, and foster alternative private sector initiatives. Annexes treat the information needs for health service operations and the feasibility of a prepaid health care program. Eighteen tables are included.