Access to cross-border health care in the European Union : implications for Malta

Abstract

Placed fifth in the World Health Organisation’s ranking of world health systems, Malta’s public healthcare system follows the Beveridge model, where funding is based on taxation and is operated through a national health service. Since 78% of healthcare services in Malta are publicly-funded from the state budget, this model necessitates that healthcare spending is weighed against other spending priorities that the country may have. Government expenditure on healthcare continues to rise annually, with the Government allocating more than 13% of its recurrent expenditure on health and elderly care, with an additional €5,367,000 invested in capital projects in the first three-quarters of 2011.