Reform of the health care system in Turkey: a review of universal health insurance.

Starting with the 1990s, Turkey has been restructuring its health care system. In December 2003, the Government of Turkey announced a comprehensive reform programme, entitled "Transformation in Health". This reform package consisted of reorganizing health services delivery and finance systems, including the establishment of a family practitioner system and universal health insurance. Some interest groups describe this reform package as "privatisation" or as an attempt to "cut benefits", and strongly oppose the reform package. The aim of this study is to review the draft universal health insurance law and to propose recommendations in light of other countries' experiences. All systems need clear policy objectives, and mechanisms for achieving reforms. All systems are, to a greater or lesser extent, the product of the history and culture of a country. Thus it is possible to learn from the experience of other countries, but unwise to copy them exactly. This is important for countries undergoing the reform process including Turkey.