ABSTRACT
This conclusion presents some closing thoughts on the concepts discussed in the preceding chapters of this book. The book shows that Shanghai, Singapore and Hong Kong had divergent trajectories of health care financing reforms and different experiences in effecting policy change. It also shows that a refined theory of historical institutionalism appears to offer a sufficient explanation for these divergent reform patterns. The book explores both the Shanghai and Singaporean governments were most able to initiate and enact changes in health care financing system while the Hong Kong government was least able to do so. It also explores the role of ideas matters in shaping health care financing reform. The book highlights that health care financing reform is a political process which reveals an intricate interplay of power relationships and diverse interests. It uses a refined theory of historical institutionalism to investigate the situation in Shanghai, Singapore and Hong Kong.
