Desigualdades en la provisión de asistencia médica en el sector público de salud en Chile

Abstract

From 1997 to 1999, the Chilean Ministry of Health conducted studies on the health care networks in each of the country's 13 regions in order to help plan regional health sector development and define investment projects. Health insurance coverage displayed major geographic, age, and gender variations. Out-patient and in-patient medical care in the public sector showed substantial geographic variations. According to patient discharge records from national referral hospitals, only some 20% of total health care capability is used to treat 60% of the Chilean population living in regions outside the Greater Metropolitan area. Analysis of primary care funding shows that municipalities allocating the highest per capita funds are not the ones with the greatest health care needs. New reform proposals must address the issue of complementarity between the public and private health sectors and strengthen the Ministry of Health's leadership role in order for the health system to improve its overall response to the population's health care needs.

Monitoring and Evaluating Progress towards Universal Health Coverage in Chile

“…Currently, after the partial privatization of social security in 1981 the health system is mixed, both in insurance and in service provision [2], and health insurance reaches 98% of the population, with 77% of this coverage by the public health insurance [3]. Regardless of this encouraging figure and a relatively good health situation, a significant burden of out-of-pocket (OOP) payment exists and the access to care has been described as noticeably inequitable between the public and private sectors [4],[5],[6],[7].…”

Testing the Latino paradox in Latin America: A population-based study of Intra-regional immigrants in Chile

“…There are significant social and health differences [53][54][55][56] and these factors are likely to affect the health of immigrants on arrival and over time. To protect the living conditions and health of immigrants, health policies that ensure equity, culturally appropriate health promotion, and routine assessment are required 57 .…”

Organizational elements of health service related to a reduction in maternal mortality: The cases of Chile and Colombia

“…Rural health posts became the foci for health promotion and prevention in rural areas [5]. As a result, health services were organized geographically, and assignation of the health infrastructure was made based on the catchment areas of the primary health care clinics [5,9,25,26].…”