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Does progress towards universal health coverage improve population health?
Rodrigo Moreno-Serra1, Peter C Smith
1Business School and Centre for Health Policy, Imperial College London, London, UK.
Lancet (London, England)
|September 11, 2012
Summary
Expanding universal health coverage improves population health and access to care, especially for disadvantaged groups. Further research is needed to maximize effectiveness, considering factors like governance.
Area of Science:
- Health Policy and Economics
- Global Health
- Public Health
Background:
- Universal health coverage (UHC) is widely promoted for improving population health.
- Progress towards UHC involves expanding risk pooling and prepayment mechanisms.
- Empirical evidence linking coverage expansions to health outcomes requires robust review.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review cross-country empirical evidence on the relationship between health coverage expansions and population health outcomes.
- To focus on the health effects of extended risk pooling and prepayment as indicators of UHC progress.
- To identify limitations in the current evidence base and suggest areas for future research.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of cross-country empirical evidence.
- Analysis of data on health coverage, access to care, and population health outcomes.
- Focus on studies examining risk pooling and prepayment as measures of UHC.
Main Results:
- Broader health coverage is generally associated with improved access to necessary healthcare.
- Expansions in health coverage positively impact population health outcomes, particularly for impoverished populations.
- Evidence suggests a link between extended risk pooling/prepayment and better health outcomes.
Conclusions:
- Progress towards universal health coverage, indicated by broader risk pooling and prepayment, generally improves population health and access to care.
- The positive effects are particularly pronounced among poorer populations.
- Data and methodological limitations necessitate further research to optimize the effectiveness of extended health coverage, including the role of institutional quality and governance.
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