The Paradox of Health State Futures

• Applicant: Professorin Ellen M. Immergut, Ph.D.
• Subject Area: Political Science
• Term: from 2014 to 2019
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 260360637

Cutting across the five research themes of this Call, HEALTHDOX aims to explore future trajectories of European health politics and policies through an investigation of the impact of recent health reforms on health inequalities, health expenditures, and public attitudes towards both the health system and the welfare state. At its broadest level, the project poses the question of whether there is a paradox of health state futures. Europeanization and globalization processes may be putting National Health Service types of health systems under increasing pressure to converge to the Continental health insurance model. But, paradoxically, National Health Services may be the type of health system best suited both to cope with the rising health costs associated with population aging, and to regenerate public support for the welfare state amongst increasingly diverse populations.This project will investigate health policy developments from 1990 to the present in Estonia, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Portugal and Sweden. The impact of these policy changes will be analysed using quantitative data found in both national and international sources. Our team is comprised of qualitative and quantitative researchers from the fields of Political Science and Sociology, whose combined expertise includes health politics, health policy, demography, migration, comparative and European politics, and the politics and sociology of the welfare state. The comparative and transnational design of the project will allow us to provide insights into health inequalities, the meaning of the welfare state for individuals, and the future politics of the welfare state, as well as to provide health policy-makers with important feedback on their policies.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Estonia, Ireland, Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden
• Participating Persons: Mare Ainsaar, Ph.D.; Professorin Karen Anderson, Ph.D.; Professorin Maria Asensio Menchero, Ph.D.; Professorin Camilla Devitt, Ph.D.; Professorin Maria Oskarson, Ph.D.