This book examines competition policy (competition law, merger control and sectoral regulation) in English and Dutch healthcare. In contrast to the United States, competition in English and Dutch healthcare develops from the principle of universal access to healthcare, which appears antithetical to competition. Unsurprisingly, competition reforms in both a health insurance system (the Netherlands) and a taxation-funded National Health Service (NHS) (England) have proved controversial. Such reforms are also proving difficult to implement, with both countries developing ?healthcare-specific? modifications of general competition rules and differing relationships between the competition authorities and healthcare regulators in applying these.