http://www.who.int/docstore/bulletin/pdf/2001/issue4/vol79.no.4.352-364.pdf

The present paper provides an overview of the basic structure of the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) and of the patterns of current commitments in health services and of limitations frequently used in this context. The concluding section discusses possibilities of pursuing basic policy objectives in a more open environment and indicates issues that may have to be dealt with in current negotiations on services. The potential for trade in health services has expanded rapidly in recent decades. More efficient communication systems have helped to reduce distance-related barriers to trade; rising incomes and enhanced information have increased the mobility of patients; and internal cost pressures have led various governments to consider possibilities for increased private participation.