There are several starting points for the line of argument whose destination is a sketch of the guidelines for the reform. First of all, the basic principles of the reform have to be weighed (chapter 2). Then there needs to be an examination of the characteristics of health care that differ from those of other sectors (chapter 3). The next step is to study international experience. It has to be clarified whether there is a country whose structure and institutions can be taken as a model, and what positive and negative lessons can be drawn from studying international developments (chapter 4). Finally, knowledge is required of the inherited attributes of the health sector in post-socialist Eastern Europe. The initial state and the historical path that led to the point of departure constrain later action (chapter 5).

The order follows the logic of comprehension and elucidation. However, when reformers set about devising a plan of action, they have to consider all elements at once – principles, sector-specific characteristics, the lessons of international experience, and the main set of initial conditions – and keep them in mind simultaneously.