PHM-Exch> Universal health coverage (8)

[Claudio Schuftan]

From: radha holla <holla.radha at gmail.com>
IBFAN Asia/BPNI,  Delhi  INDIA


What the initial email tried to explore is extremely provocative.

In my understanding, in the context of the neoliberal paradigm,
universal health coverage would mean that every one pays insurance
companies for some kind of limited coverage; if they are too poor, the
govt pays the companies for them, and then claims it has increased the
health budget. In India, ever since the Rs. 30,000 insurance scheme
was set up (to be paid by govt. for the very poor), one sees all
kinds of health facilities advertising all kinds of treatments
(including elective and cosmetic surgery) with the punch line saying
that these facilities are covered under the insurance scheme. Given the high
costs of drugs and of treatment in these facilities, I wonder what kind of
services and to what extent the poor will get to these facilities.

The Lancet apparently subscribes to the idea that where health
insurance companies exist, there *is* universal health coverage.
Thus the way the US and Latinamerican countrues are presented in the map.

> From l <peterhall at doctorsforhumanrights.org> :
>
>> For those, who like me, need some background on health systems research
to
>> understand it better, here is a blog from the WB's Adam Wagstaff (edited)
>>
https://blogs.worldbank.org/developmenttalk/what-s-the-universal-health-coverage-push-really-about
>>
>> "What's the "universal health coverage" push really about?

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