Module 6 Flashcards
Universal Health Care
universal health coverage
the UN general assembly adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which included the 17 SDGs
the third SDG aims to promote the well-being and ensure healthy living for all individuals at all ages, meaning that universal health coverage (UHC) is a key component of the SDGs
UHC enables
all people to have access to the health services they need, whenever, wherever, and without financial hardship
UHC includes health promotion, prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and palliatives services
evaluating the global prevalence of UHC
researchers often categorize a country as a provider of UHC if it meets two criteria: passed legislation and essential service coverage
UHC: passes legislation
a country meets this criteria if they possess healthcare legislation that explicitly states that the entire population is covered under a specific health plan
UHC: essential service coverage
this criteria is based on the service coverage index, which is rated from 0-100, and is a measure of essential health service coverage based on 4 components
a high score indicates high coverage
essential service coverage components
- reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health
- infectious disease
- non-communicable diseases
- service capacity and access
funding health coverage
4 main methods used by countries to finance healthcare coverage
1. social insurance
2. state coverage
3. private health insurance
4. employer based insurance
social insurance
employers and employees, including self employed by individuals, pay contributions towards health services
these are usually legislated by law and cover the entire population
wealthier people and companies often pay more into these funds, but not always
governments may contribute subsidies to provide increased funding
state coverage
healthcare insurance is provided and financed by the government through tax payments
taxes such as income tax and sales taxes or goods fund state based coverage
all the money is pooled by the government and used according to the country’s needs
private health insurance
individuals purchase private healthcare insurance to cover the cost of healthcare services
some countries make private health insurance available to its citizens at a nominal cost
employer based insurance
insurance is purchased by employers for their employees and financed through employer or joint employer-employee contributions
this insurance may be subsidized by the government
healthcare models
the beveridge model
the Bismarck model
the National Health Insurance Model
the out-of-pocket model
access to health services
services are provided at little or no cost to the individual
services provided are close in proximity to where the individual resides
services available are comprehensive medical, dental, eye, mental health, and pharmaceutical
quality of health services
healthcare professionals have the resources they need to provide quality care
evidence based healthcare services and policies are practiced
client-centred care
timely service
educated and efficient healthcare workers
UHC in UK
single-payer
comprehensive care with NO copays at point of service
all residents are covered
government finances health care with taxes and pays providers directly
UHC in Netherlands
regulated private coverage
government-defined health benefits; deductibles for some services are covered
everyone is required to have insurance unless they qualify for an exception
people pay premiums for regulated private health coverage; insurers pay health providers
UHC in France
mixed public-private
coverage: wide range of services with some cost sharing; private insurance fills gaps
all residents are covered
government finances non-profit funds that pay providers; most people buy additional insurance
requirements for UHC
these must be met before a country can claim they have reached UHC
- healthcare system
- finances
- access
- health workers
requirements for UHC: healthcare system
a high quality and efficient healthcare system that is able to meet priority health needs
requirements for UHC: finances
financing that supports healthcare services and prevents financial hardship for medical care
requirements for UHC: access
access to effective technology and medicines to diagnose and treat medical conditions
requirements for UHC: health workers
sufficient capacity of well-trained and motivated health workers to meet the needs of patients
healthcare systems
the organization of people, institutions, and resources that deliver healthcare services to meet the needs of a population
the configuration varies from country to country
a simple health system model
model includes three main branches: the structure, the provision, and the health outcomes
a simple health system model: structure
encompasses the financing of the health services and the infrastructure (hospitals, clinics, health centres) leads to particular goals or health outcome that are mediated by the provision of services
a well functioning healthcare system
- a robust financing mechanism
- a well-trained and adequately paid workforce
- reliable information on which to base decisions and policies
- well-maintained facilities and logistics to deliver quality medicines and technologies
a well functioning healthcare system: response to needs
can respond in multiple ways:
- Defending: defending the population against health threats
- providing: providing equitable access to people centred care
- protecting: protecting against the financial consequences of ill health
- improving: improving the health status of individuals and communities
- participating: making it possible for people to participate in decisions affecting their health
barriers to a well functioning healthcare system
disproportionate focus on specialist curative care
fragmentation of competing programs, projects, and institutions
pervasive commercialization of health care delivery in poorly regulated systems
insufficient resources, including finances