Reshaping Health Care in Latin America (PDF)

In many countries of the world, including Canada, arguments are made for a privateûpublic mix in the financing and provision of health services. Proponents claim that such a mix would improve both access and quality of health care. Opponents counter that it would create a two-tiered system, narrowing the range of options available to the lower socioeconomic segments of society and ultimately harming the equitable delivery of quality health care. This book presents empirical evidence on this contentious and highly politicized issue. Uniquely, it integrates qualitative and quantitative analyses of health care reforms at various stages of implementation in three countries of Latin America. The book sheds light on important issues pertaining to accessibility and equity and, in its approach, sets precedents and provides guidelines for further comparative work on health care reform. Reshaping Health Care in Latin America will appeal to academics, scholars, researchers, and students in health sciences, policy studies, Latin American studies, and international development. It will also be of interest to health practitioners, policymakers, and all citizens who follow the continuing international debate on the privateûpublic mix in our health care systems.