New methods of financing and managing health care in the Russian Federation.

Poor outcomes in Russian Federation health care performance have led to greater efforts being devoted to the search for new methods of finance and management. The new financial and managerial scheme was designed to introduce elements of market relations into a highly bureaucratic system. Strengthening the primary care sector and granting providers more economic freedom were intended to increase the quantity and quality of medical care, and make it more accessible to the population. In the late 1980s, economic experiments started in several regions of the country. This paper highlights the new methods of management, payment of providers, and quality assurance that were the focuses of the experiments. The impact of the experiments will be discussed.