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Advancing health coverage of informal workers in three Latin American countries
Author(s) -
BernalesBaksai Pamela,
SolarHormazábal Orielle
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
social policy and administration
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.972
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1467-9515
pISSN - 0144-5596
DOI - 10.1111/spol.12435
Subject(s) - latin americans , harmonization , financial inclusion , inclusion (mineral) , informal sector , business , welfare , social protection , developing country , population , economic growth , public economics , political science , economics , medicine , environmental health , finance , financial services , sociology , law , gender studies , physics , acoustics
Abstract Advancing universal health coverage (UHC) in Latin America (LA) requires that governments address the inclusion of informal workers, who represent a significant proportion of the working population. Based on case studies and a literature review, this article analyzes health policy reforms of three LA countries and examines their ability to promote the inclusion of informal workers. The analysis focuses on three dimensions: eligibility criteria, benefit packages, and financial protection. The countries analyzed are Chile, Uruguay, and Colombia, each having a different type of welfare regime. These three countries have applied relevant reforms for UHC. Chile has made strenuous efforts to provide a comprehensive benefit package for all, while Uruguay has promoted the extension of health coverage based on principles of citizen rights. Colombia, meanwhile, has significantly expanded the coverage of informal workers, although it still faces challenges in terms of providing them with a comprehensive benefit package. The analysis shows the linkages between eligibility criteria, benefit packages, and financial protection, in such a way that strategies to extend the coverage of informal workers need to be coupled with the harmonization of benefit packages, financial protection, and equal opportunity of access to providers.