Previous Amigos

Public welfare often clashes with private reference - in policies on drugs, obesity and even parenting. Yet bad choices - in diet and lifestyle - impose costs and inconvenience on our fellow citizens. So, has the nanny state already gone too far or are we still scandalously neglectful of the common good?

The health consumer is already knocking on Europe’s door but how can European consumers move from a position of weakness to a position of strength? What are the lessons from other nations where consumers have been empowered? Johan Hjertqvist is a policy innovator with direct practical experience of shaping a consumer-focused healthcare reform in Sweden known as The Stockholm Revolution. He will talk about what is needed to make European healthcare truly consumer focused and will explain the thinking behind the creation of the Health Consumer Index, a practical tool for evaluating how consumers are met by their health systems and where progress still needs to be made.

Every industrialised country is wrestling with the challenges that technology, ageing and endless cost increases pose for their national health systems, and Canada is no exception. One of Canada’s most prominent health care reformers talks about these questions. How does Canada balance efficiency in healthcare with social solidarity? Are Canadians more satisfied with their healthcare arrangements than Europeans? What are the lessons for Belgium and for Europe as a whole? Is the traditional welfare state model sustainable in the 21st century?