Entrepreneurship and consumer interests in healthcare markets

On 6 February 2009, TILEC hosted a double inaugural lecture by Professors Wolf Sauter and Marcel Canoy. A workshop on "Competition in healthcare markets", opened by Frank de Grave (Dutch health care markets regulator, NZa) focused on the right standard for merger control and the influence of EC law on healthcare markets. In his lecture, Wolf Sauter emphasised the importance of putting the consumer interest at the forefront of enforcement of regulation. This consumer interest can be characterised in terms of quality, accessibility and affordability; elements that can in principle be measured and henceforth be weighed against each other. Sauter suggested to quantify these public interests as much as possible to achieve sound regulatory decision-making in the future. In addition, he paid attention to how the European concept of service of general economic interest can be used by Member States to ensure provision of essential services in competitive conditions. Marcel Canoy highlighted the importance of making room for entrepreneurship in healthcare markets. Two additional, intermediate goals of healthcare regulation he identifies are the minimization of information rents and the motivation of healthcare workers. He argued that when competition is properly implemented, these three goals will reinforce each other. The lectures are available in Dutch:
Lecture Wolf Sauter
Lecture Marcel Canoy