Welfare and Old Age in Europe and North America

'a very useful collection of well-researched essays on a topic that has recently assumed growing importance' Social Policy & Administration 'This excellent collection shows how workers of all skill levels across Europe and North America formed sophisticated insurance operations that influence the way we insure against these same risks today. The authors provide insightful analyses from a variety of cultures. To see the impressive variety of mutual arrangements, clearly presented and carefully analyzed, there is no better place to start than this important book.' John E Murray, Rhodes College 'insightful' EH.net

• List of Figures, List of Tables, Notes on Contributors, Introduction, 1 Coalminers, Accidents and Insurance in Late Nineteenth-Century England, 2 Th e Costs and Benefits of Size in a Mutual Insurance System: The German Miners’ – Knappschaften, 1854–1923, 3 A New Welfare System: Friendly Societies in the Eastern Lombardy from 1860 to 1914, 4 Economic Growth and Demand for Health Coverage in Spain: Th e Role of Friendly Societies (1870–1942), 5 Sickness Insurance and Welfare Reform in England and Wales, 1870–1914 , 6 From Sickness to Death: Revisiting the Financial Viability of the English Friendly Societies, 1875–1908 , 7 America’s Rejection of Government Health Insurance in the Progressive Era: Implications for Understanding the Determinants and Achievements of Public Insurance of Health Risks, 8 Medical Assistance Provided by La Conciliación, a Pamplona Mutual Assistance Association (1902–84). 9 In it for the Money? Insurers, Sickness Funds and the Dominance of Not-for-Profit Health Insurance in the Netherlands. 10 Belgian Mutual Health Insurance and the Nation State. Notes, Index