The COVID-19 Pandemic and the Private Health Sector: Profiting without Socially Contributing.
Int J Soc Determinants Health Health Serv
; 53(4): 466-477, 2023 10.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-37680140
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated the mobilization of all available health care resources, including private, for-profit ones. The aim of this multiple methods study (combination of document and secondary data analysis) was to assess government regulations facilitating the private health sector's participation in the COVID-19 response in Greece. During the pandemic, the government made three successive increases in private providers' reimbursement fees, provided additional financial incentives to private providers, and allocated 280 million of emergency funding for the private sector's involvement in the national COVID-19 response. In response, private hospitals made available on average 2.2% of their total bed capacity per epidemic wave for the treatment of COVID-19 patients and 1.7% of their total bed capacity for the treatment of non-COVID-19 patients transferred from National Health System (NHS) hospitals. In 2020 the five largest health care corporate groups maintained their revenues, while in 2021 they increased them by 18.7%-a striking comparison with the 9% recession experienced by the Greek economy in 2020 and its 8.4% recovery in 2021. In a time of an acute public health crisis, private health care providers responded to society's pressing health care needs by insulating their facilities from COVID-19 patients and NHS patient transfers, minimizing their social contribution and safeguarding their revenues and profits.
Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Private Sector
/
COVID-19
Limits:
Humans
Language:
En
Journal:
Int J Soc Determinants Health Health Serv
Year:
2023
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Grecia