Publication:
Are Free Government Health Services the Best Way to Reach to Poor?

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dc.contributor.authorGwatkin, Davison R.
dc.date.accessioned2013-05-30T19:33:24Z
dc.date.available2013-05-30T19:33:24Z
dc.date.issued2004-09
dc.description.abstractThe paper asks whether the pursuit of universal coverage by a wide range of free government services constitutes the most promising approach to meeting the needs of disadvantaged population groups. The response given to that question is probably not. The record to date points clearly to the danger that the benefits of subsidized government health services will flow primarily to the better-off, rather than to the poor for whom the services are intended. While there is no perfect approach to dealing with this issue, the record also points to several approaches that can significantly ameliorate the situation. Two of them, discussed in the paper, are the adoption of targeting measures to increase the proportion of benefits from government expenditures that flow to the poor; and the development of alternative, self-sustaining service financing and delivery mechanisms to serve the better-off. Successful implementation of approaches like these would allow governments to focus their efforts to achieve universal free coverage on a limited number of interventions that are particularly important for poor groups.en
dc.identifierhttp://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2004/09/5589349/free-government-health-services-best-way-reach-poor
dc.identifier.doi10.1596/13720
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10986/13720
dc.languageEnglish
dc.language.isoen_US
dc.publisherWorld Bank, Washington, DC
dc.relation.ispartofseriesHealth, Nutrition and Population (HNP) discussion paper;
dc.rightsCC BY 3.0 IGO
dc.rights.holderWorld Bank
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo/
dc.subjectCHILD HEALTH
dc.subjectCHILD HEALTH SERVICES
dc.subjectCLEAN WATER
dc.subjectCLINICS
dc.subjectCOMMUNICABLE DISEASES
dc.subjectDELIVERY MECHANISMS
dc.subjectECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
dc.subjectECONOMIC POLICIES
dc.subjectEXPENDITURES
dc.subjectFAMILIES
dc.subjectHEALTH CARE
dc.subjectHEALTH CARE COSTS
dc.subjectHEALTH CARE EXPENDITURES
dc.subjectHEALTH CARE FINANCING
dc.subjectHEALTH EXPENDITURES
dc.subjectHEALTH FACILITIES
dc.subjectHEALTH FINANCING
dc.subjectHEALTH INSURANCE
dc.subjectHEALTH PROGRAMS
dc.subjectHEALTH REFORM
dc.subjectHEALTH SECTOR
dc.subjectHEALTH SERVICE PROVISION
dc.subjectHEALTH SERVICE USE
dc.subjectHEALTH SERVICES
dc.subjectHEALTH STATUS
dc.subjectHEALTH SYSTEM
dc.subjectHOSPITAL CARE
dc.subjectHOSPITALIZATION
dc.subjectHOUSEHOLDS
dc.subjectHUMAN DEVELOPMENT
dc.subjectHUMAN RESOURCES
dc.subjectIMMUNIZATION
dc.subjectINCIDENCE ANALYSIS
dc.subjectINCOME
dc.subjectINFANT MORTALITY
dc.subjectINTERVENTION
dc.subjectLATIN AMERICAN
dc.subjectLESSONS LEARNED
dc.subjectMEDICAL CARE
dc.subjectMEDICAL EQUIPMENT
dc.subjectMEDICAL TREATMENT
dc.subjectNUTRITION
dc.subjectPOLICY RESEARCH
dc.subjectPOPULATION GROUPS
dc.subjectPRIMARY CARE
dc.subjectPRIVATE SECTOR
dc.subjectPROMOTING HEALTH
dc.subjectPUBLIC HEALTH
dc.subjectPUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES
dc.subjectPUBLIC SECTOR
dc.subjectRADIO
dc.subjectREPRODUCTIVE HEALTH
dc.subjectRURAL HEALTH
dc.subjectRURAL HEALTH CARE
dc.subjectSAFETY
dc.subjectSAFETY NETS
dc.subjectSECURITY SYSTEMS
dc.subjectSERVICE DELIVERY
dc.titleAre Free Government Health Services the Best Way to Reach to Poor?en
dspace.entity.typePublication
okr.date.doiregistration2025-05-05T12:50:51.589970Z
okr.doctypePublications & Research::Working Paper
okr.doctypePublications & Research
okr.docurlhttp://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2004/09/5589349/free-government-health-services-best-way-reach-poor
okr.globalpracticeMacroeconomics and Fiscal Management
okr.globalpracticeEducation
okr.guid321281468782345856
okr.identifier.externaldocumentum000090341_20050208102237
okr.identifier.internaldocumentum5589349
okr.identifier.report29185
okr.language.supporteden
okr.pdfurlhttp://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2005/02/08/000090341_20050208102237/Rendered/PDF/291850HNP0Free0government0health.pdfen
okr.topicHealth Monitoring and Evaluation
okr.topicMacroeconomics and Economic Growth::Knowledge Economy
okr.topicHealth Systems Development and Reform
okr.topicEducation::Education for the Knowledge Economy
okr.topicHousing and Human Habitats
okr.unitHealth, Nutrition, and Population
okr.volume1 of 1
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