ABSTRACT
On 1 May 2004 the European Union (EU) grew by a further ten countries. For the eight countries that were part of the former eastern bloc, accession constituted another step toward economic and social transformation. That transformation, however, though it has meant a return to democracy and a market economy, has also caused social tensions, difficulties and problems that are particularly evident in the health-care system. In common with the ‘old’ EU15 member states, the newly acceded states have repeatedly been forced to reform their health systems. For these new members, however, reform is all the more difficult. In spite of enjoying relatively strong economic growth, they have considerably fewer resources available to cope with such challenges than the EU15 has. Compounding the difficulties are the numerous problems left over from the Communist era, as well as country-specific organizational, financial and social challenges.
