ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to identify the positive aspects and the difficulties encountered in applying the new paradigm to the French health care system. The process of setting public health priorities in France and their linkage to health care resources allocation is described based on the literature review, which included technical reports on the operations of national and regional health care systems. Accordingly, clinical guidelines, developed by health professionals, reinforce public authority's decision-making in allocating resources. The public must have access to these guidelines and the process for developing guidelines must be open and explicit. The government's public display of well-defined priorities and their link to resources allocation has positive consequences, since it demonstrates its commitment to 'health', a widely valued field. In New Zealand a national consultative committee established a list of general orientations for health priorities while more specific priorities were defined at local levels such as medical services.
