Human security and universal health insurance

Universal health insurance--let the debate resume.

The article by The Physicians' Working Group for Single-Payer National Health Insurance in this issue of THE JOURNAL should re-energize the much needed debate on universal health insurance. More than 40 million Americans lack health insurance and nearly 60 million are without health insurance for a portion of the year. Employers face rising health insurance premiums, and their employees face in...

Health systems strengthening, universal health coverage, health security and resilience.

Genetic Health Risks: The Case for Universal Public Health Insurance

This paper examines the role of the public sector in providing genetic insurance and health care when health risks are genetically determined at conception. We characterize the ex ante efficient outcome (where individuals are placed behind the veil of ignorance), and demonstrate that this outcome cannot be achieved by private health insurance markets or by a government which cannot commit to a ...

Universal Health Insurance in India: Ensuring Equity, Efficiency, and Quality

Indian health system is characterized by a vast public health infrastructure which lies underutilized, and a largely unregulated private market which caters to greater need for curative treatment. High out-of-pocket (OOP) health expenditures poses barrier to access for healthcare. Among those who get hospitalized, nearly 25% are pushed below poverty line by catastrophic impact of OOP healthcare...

The Macroeconomics of Universal Health Insurance Vouchers (Preliminary and Incomplete)

We investigate a government financed voucher program that allows all Americans to buy health insurance in the private insurance market. We investigate whether health insurance vouchers are able to increase the number of people with health insurance and decrease aggregate health care spending that threatens the solvency of Medicare and Medicaid. We develop a multi-generation dynamic general equi...