92001E3113

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3113/01

by Theresa Villiers (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(5 November 2001)

Subject: Health spending

1. Could the Commission please supply, as a proportion of GDP, figures for expenditure on health-care in each EU Member State by:

(a) governments,

(b) individuals?

2. Could the Commission please state the average EU expenditure on health-care as a proportion of GDP, using the most recent figures available?

Answer given by Mr Solbes Mira on behalf of the Commission

(3 December 2001)

Eurostat does not yet collect data on health expenditures on a routine basis. Eurostat is aware, however, of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Health Policy Unit collecting and disseminating data relating to health expenditures on a routine basis for a considerable time period. This collection also includes data for Member States.

It has to be mentioned that countries provide OECD with national data referring to health expenditures as defined in the national context. A common framework concept and the application of common definitions have always been aimed for, but could not yet be achieved to a satisfactory degree. Users of the OECD data dissemination system are therefore advised to use these data with caution. It is strongly suggested to refrain from comparisons across countries, as a remarkable share of the inter-country differences presented may originate from the boundaries of the health care system in one country being defined in a wider sense, whereas in another a more narrow definition may apply.

It should be mentioned, that the existing lack of data comparability across countries has initiated a joint OECD/Eurostat initiative to introduce the framework concept of System of Health Accounts (SHA) in 1997. With the application of this SHA framework concept in the Member States the data quality, availability and comparability will raise substantially.

As to now, SHA prototype data exist for health expenditures in roughly 50 % of the Member States. The Member States promised to have routine SHA data available by the end of 2002.

A table of OECD is sent direct to the Honourable Member and to Parliament's Secretariat despite the serious methodological concerns mentioned above, as they are the only data currently available.