Criteria and processes for identifying the poor as beneficiaries of programs in developing countries

Since the 1980s, most developing countries have adopted a policy of user fees for health care services. Such policies, however, reduce access to services for those unable to pay. A variety of options have been explored to mitigate this negative effect, and these are the subject of three policy briefs that complement this one. One option is to eliminate this type of policy by abolishing health services user fees altogether. Other options consist of leaving user fees in place but developing mechanisms to shelter the poor from their negative effects: exempting the poorest from user fees (with or without health equity funds); developing health insurance that includes special measures for the poor. In this case, it becomes necessary to identify the poor who are eligible for such initiatives.