Universal Health Coverage
What Does Universal Health Coverage Mean?
Universal health coverage refers to the establishment of an accessible healthcare system that ensures citizens can receive necessary medical services without facing financial ruin. Its implementation is typically driven by a state mandate.
Insuranceopedia Explains Universal Health Coverage
A state is only as strong as its citizens. Alternatively, one might say that a state is only as strong as the health of its citizens. Productivity stems from good health, and when the citizens of a state are unhealthy, the state’s productivity suffers.
This underscores why every country, whether developed or developing, strives for universal health coverage. Such coverage ensures that every citizen has access to affordable, high-quality healthcare, including medical services (hospitalization, surgery, lab tests, etc.) and essential medications.
As of 2015, approximately 400 million people lack access to health care because they cannot afford it. Even those who can access healthcare often face impoverishment due to its costs. Universal health coverage has the potential to address these global challenges. In the same year, over 20 countries, including economically modest nations like Nigeria and Ghana, were implementing this model of health coverage.
