The Impact of the International Financial Crisis on the National Health System of Greece

Abstract

A major consequence of the global financial crisis was the adoption of austerity measures, in every country of the European Union and the Eurozone. These measures led to budget cuts in most of government expenditures regarding public sector, as well as public goods. In the case of Greece, the financial crisis has resulted in cutting health costs, thus limiting the access of the population to health, while at the same time a part of the population was and is full of unmet needs. This paper aims to examine the effect of the reduction in public spending on access to health services, and express the basic elements of a program of equal access to public health facilities.