No Country for Sick Men: The Political Determinants of Health Policy in Poland

The objective of this article is to explain the political factors determining the relatively weak performance of the Polish health care (HC) sector. This can be treated as a critical case for several reasons. First, the Poles are among the most unsatisfied patients in the European Union, with one of the lowest life expectancy levels. Second, Poland spends one of the lowest shares of gross domestic product on HC-related expenditures among OECD countries. Third, the country is facing medical personnel shortages.