Iunes, RobertoCubillos-Turriago, LeonardoEscobar, Maria-Luisa2013-03-292013-03-292012-07https://hdl.handle.net/10986/13072In recent years, several middle-income Latin American countries have seen a steep increase in the number of cases litigating access to curative services and inputs. A renewed judicial approach to the enforcement of the right to health, the expansion of health coverage, a more demanding public interest, an increased prevalence of non communicable diseases and a limited capacity for fair and solid benefit basket design lie at the basis of this phenomenon. Using an interdisciplinary approach and evidence from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Peru, and Uruguay, this paper examines this complex phenomenon and outlines some of its roots and impacts. It also argues for the need to incorporate a rights-based approach to health policy as a foundation to societal efforts to achieve universal health coverage.en-USCC BY 3.0 IGOaccess to health servicesaccess to servicesAgingcommunicable diseasescurative health careDeterminants of Healthdiabetesdiscretionary authoritydrugsenvironmental healthfinancial impactfinancial incentivesfinancial resourceshealth authoritieshealth careHEALTH COVERAGEHealth Inequalitieshealth needshealth outcomeshealth policieshealth policyhealth resourceshealth sectorhealth serviceshealth systemhealth systemshuman developmenthuman rightsimpact on health outcomesincomeinformation systemsinsuranceinterventionjudicial systemlow incomemedical malpracticemedical technologiesMedicinesneighborhoodsPharmaceutical policiesphysicianpollutionpublic healthpublic policiessocial policySocial Securitysocial servicessocioeconomic factorsWorld Bank10.1596/13070