ABSTRACT
Chapter 21 outlines how the pattern of nancing health care has changed over time. Prior to the late 1980s, many systems could be categorised according to a dominant source of nance, while in more recent years health systems are nanced from an increasingly complex mix of resources. A system that has traditionally been categorised as a social health insurancebased system may involve a substantial amount of tax-based funding. Similarly, while the US is typically referred to as a private-based system with many people covered by private health insurance, public taxes account for a large proportion of total health care resources (e.g. to fund Medicaid and Medicare).
