Towards Universal Health Care Coverage : Goal-oriented Framework for Policy Analysis
Universal coverage with the health care insurance function may be defined as physical and financial access to necessary health care of good quality for all persons in a society. It implies protection against the risk that if expensive (relative to...
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| Format: | Working Paper |
| Language: | English en_US |
| Published: |
World Bank, Washington, DC
2013
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| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2000/07/3960510/towards-universal-health-care-coverage-goal-oriented-framework-policy-analysis http://hdl.handle.net/10986/13772 |
| Summary: | Universal coverage with the health care
insurance function may be defined as physical and financial
access to necessary health care of good quality for all
persons in a society. It implies protection against the risk
that if expensive (relative to an individual's or
family's means) health care services are needed,
services of adequate quality will be physically accessible,
and the costs of these services will not prevent persons
from using them or impoverish their families. Defined in
this way, the extent of protection is an important
determinant of performance vis-a-vis broad health and social
welfare policy objectives, because it entails quality of
care (a means for improving the health status of the
population), equity in access to effective care (a means to
reduce inequality in health status), and protection against
the risk of impoverishment as a consequence of health care
costs. This paper was motivated by the perception that, with
respect to health care financing, there is frequently
confusion between policy tools and policy objectives. The
paper emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between
the ends and means of health policy in general, and of
health insurance in particular. |
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