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AbstractThe newly industrialised and high income economies of East Asia perform remarkably well on a range of health system indicators. We adopt an institutional lens to examine and compare the similarities and differences in health care financing and provision in the paired cases of Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan and South Korea. This illuminates how, despite seemingly common global, regional and functional demands, reformers have responded through diverse means to different institutional constraints. Moreover, some of these cases illuminate the cognizance of reformers with respect to vulnerabilities in their own health care systems enabling effective, albeit ongoing, management.

Abstract Medical tourism is a growing phenomenon with policy implications for health systems, particularly of destination countries. Private actors and governments in Southeast Asia are promoting the medical tourist industry, but the potential impact on health systems, particularly in terms of equity in access and availability for local consumers, is unclear. This article presents a conceptual framework that outlines the policy implications of medical tourism's growth for health systems, drawing on the cases of Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia, three regional hubs for medical tourism, via an extensive review of academic and grey literature. Variables for further analysis of the potential impact of medical tourism on health systems are also identified. The framework can provide a basis for empirical, in country studies weighing the benefits and disadvantages of medical tourism for health systems. The policy implications described are of particular relevance for policymakers and industry practitioners in other Southeast Asian countries with similar health systems where governments have expressed interest in facilitating the growth of the medical tourist industry. This article calls for a universal definition of medical tourism and medical tourists to be enunciated, as well as concerted data collection efforts, to be undertaken prior to any meaningful empirical analysis of medical tourism's impact on health systems.

Medical tourism is a growing phenomenon with policy implications for health systems, particularly of destination countries. Private actors and governments in Southeast Asia are promoting the medical tourist industry, but the potential impact on health systems, particularly in terms of equity in access and availability for local consumers, is unclear. This article presents a conceptual framework that outlines the policy implications of medical tourism's growth for health systems, drawing on the cases of Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia, three regional hubs for medical tourism, via an extensive review of academic and grey literature. Variables for further analysis of the potential impact of medical tourism on health systems are also identified. The framework can provide a basis for empirical, in country studies weighing the benefits and disadvantages of medical tourism for health systems. The policy implications described are of particular relevance for policymakers and industry practitioners in other Southeast Asian countries with similar health systems where governments have expressed interest in facilitating the growth of the medical tourist industry. This article calls for a universal definition of medical tourism and medical tourists to be enunciated, as well as concerted data collection efforts, to be undertaken prior to any meaningful empirical analysis of medical tourism's impact on health systems.

The formation of slums need not be inevitable with rapid urbanization. Such an argument appears to be contradicted by evidence of large slum populations in a large number of developing countries and particularly in rapidly urbanizing regions like Asia. The evidence discussed suggests that city authorities faced with rapid urban development lack the capacity to cope with the diverse demands for infrastructural provision to meet economic and social needs. Not only are strategic planning and intervention major issues in agenda to manage rapid urbanization, but city governments are not effectively linking the economic development trajectory to implications for urban growth and, hence, housing needs. In the following discussion, a case study is presented in support of the argument that city governments have to first recognize and then act to establish the link that is crucial between economic development, urban growth, and housing. This is the agendum that has been largely neglected by city and national governments that have been narrowly focused on economic growth with the consequent proliferation of slum formation as a housing solution.

Financing health care of the elderly, especially the increasing costs of their health care, has surfaced as a critical issue in newly industrializing economies such as Singapore. The article examines Singapore's policy of health care reform by the restructuring of its health care financing system through a scheme of compulsory savings, known as Medisave, as part of the Central Provident Fund for the working population. Is was supplemented with Medishield as a backup social insurance for catastrophic illness, and Medifund as an endowment fund for the indigent. These innovations in health care financing have to cater for the more educated elderly, greater expectations of professionalism and scrutinity of practices, demand for better quality and affordable services. Future alternative programmes for the aged have to respond to these challenges. (AJPS/DÜI)

Includes demographic trends, hospital expenditures, Medisave, Medishield, and Medifund.

AbstractThe Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) has potential in creating regional health governance frameworks. Yet in light of the ASEAN Economic Community 2015, pressing challenges remain. Further integration will likely lead to increased movements of migrants. Protecting the health of migrant workers is thus key to ensure that regional integration's objectives of economic growth and political stability are met.With the potentially negative repercussions of unhealthy migration on ASEAN's economic and political integration, much effort should be directed towards further social integration. Why and how should a regional framework to protect migrant workers' health be negotiated through ASEAN? A key to the successful ASEAN regional framework for migrant workers' health, which is also a key challenge for the region, is the effective inclusion of various stakeholders involved in the protection of migrant workers' health. ASEAN will play a crucial role in coordinating initiatives and in creating common standards regarding treatment of migrant workers.

"Ageing in Asia contains a selection of leading social systems and programs, with interesting case-studies offering innovative and useful lessons. The book covers ageing and related developments occurring in the most dynamic industrializing and urbanizing societies of emerging Asia. It includes topical issues such public policies and responses to current challenges from the growing needs of an ageing population due to rise of chronic non-communicable diseases, amidst rapidly changing social, cultural, economic and political changes in the region. The main purpose of the book is to provide useful comparisons of social care systems undergoing rapid transitions, and to offer some examples of best practices and lessons to respond to the changing needs due to population ageing."--