This research note provides analysis of the trends in unmet needs for healthcare before and during the recent financial and economic crisis. Specifically, it aims to explore the extent to which there has been an increase in unmet needs due to affordability and unavailability of services, and to identify vulnerable social groups. For the purposes of this analysis, we selected those EU countries that have been most affected by the crisis: Ireland, Greece, Spain, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Portugal and Slovenia. Our analysis is based on the EU-SILC and concerns unmet needs for medical examination or treatment. The research note also examines the scope and composition of out-of-pocket payments for healthcare among the older population (50+) prior to the crisis, using data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). The research note likewise discusses the potential effects of the financial crisis on health and provides an overview of healthcare reforms and cost-containing measures implemented since the beginning of the crisis in the eight selected countries.
