«'This book is an extraordinary resource for individuals eager to understand the varied roles of private health insurance around the world. The permutations of private insurance are numerous, with each country developing a unique system to serve alongside publicly-funded coverage. The editors and authors provide an informative guided tour, clearly explaining current practices and problems; and also offering thoughtful suggestions on how to anticipate and minimize the potential downsides of private insurance on the long road to more equitable and efficient health care financing.' Jim G. Kahn, University of California San Francisco»

«'This book makes a huge contribution to our understanding of private health insurance and its roles. It provides clarity about the different forms it can take and different terminology. The country studies give insight into how private insurance performs in practice. The book brings together some of the best researchers in healthcare finance who have excellent understanding of different systems, their successes and failures. While the book will be very useful for students and researchers, the analysis is of particular interest for governments and policy makers – it provides a dispassionate review of private health insurance and may help to prevent mistakes from being repeated.' Charles Normand, Professor of Health Policy and Management, Trinity College Dublin and Professor of the Economics of Palliative Care and Rehabillitation, Cicely Saunders Institute, King's College London»