The bachelor’s thesis addresses the privatisation of public healthcare through a
comparative analysis of Slovenia and the United States of America. The central issue
is how differing proportions of the public and private sectors affect the funding,
accessibility, quality, and equity of healthcare services. The purpose of the research is
to assess whether a greater role of the private sector improves the efficiency of the
system or increases social disparities in access to care.
The research is based on a qualitative comparative analysis and the descriptive
method. Secondary sources are used, including professional literature, scholarly
articles, and official reports of Slovenian and international institutions. The analysis
enables a comparison of the organisation, financing, and operation of both healthcare
systems and highlights the differences between the solidarity-based Slovenian model
and the market-oriented American model.
The findings indicate that the Slovenian system ensures broader universal accessibility
but faces long waiting times and personnel constraints. The American system enables
faster access for insured individuals but generates high costs and pronounced
inequalities. The results confirm that privatisation can contribute to greater efficiency,
while at the same time often reducing the equity of the system.
The thesis contributes to a better understanding of the impact of privatisation on public
healthcare and offers starting points for discussion on future reforms in Slovenia. It
highlights the importance of balancing the public interest, financial sustainability, and
equal access to healthcare services. A limitation of the research is the use of secondary
sources. Such a comparison is also important for the broader social environment, as it
shows that the accessibility of healthcare services does not depend solely on the level
of expenditure, but also on the organisation of the system, market regulation, and
political decisions. The findings are therefore useful for the formulation of
well-considered health policies that can better reconcile efficiency, equity, and the
long-term sustainability of the system. This is particularly important for the Slovenian
healthcare context.
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