ABSTRACT
This chapter examines whether the fact that European countries are tending to make their health systems more similar, and that they have all faced a similar economic reality, is having an effect on the proportion of income that each country devotes to public health expenditures. It focuses on public health expenditures as this is where most cost containment measures have been targeted. The chapter explores the arguments for convergence and continues with the arguments against. Despite the general view of convergence in the various types of reforms, there are substantial aspects of the health systems that remain remarkably different and that are unlikely to change quickly. Further research could be done in the direction of testing the convergence hypotheses for total expenditures in health as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product because - especially in insurance-based systems - the classification of private/public may not be that clear.
