ABSTRACT
Post-1989 healthcare in Central and Eastern Europe countries (CEEC) is often classified as Bismarckian following the adoption of social health insurance (SHI). The article provides evidence that in CEEC healthcare regulation is state-dominated, with a weak role of corporate partners, which differs from Western European SHI countries where corporatist arrangements underlie healthcare regulation. The weakness of corporatist arrangements in CEEC is explained by communist legacies and ideas prevailing in the post-communist transition. Moreover, despite commonalities, CEEC display heterogeneity in the modes of healthcare regulation. The article contributes to the comparative literature on healthcare regulation and CEEC healthcare, and illuminates the impact of regulation on healthcare provision and policy-making.
