BACKGROUND The Brazilian public health system, free and universal, should limit out-of-pocket health expenses. However, Brazil was reported as one of the countries with the highest proportion of families experiencing catastrophic expenditure. This study was designed to assess occurrence of high health spending in a low-income population, as well as the pattern of out-of-pocket health payments. ...

It is no secret that the health of most Americans is not as good as it could be. Quality of care is poor, health equity is low, and our health system is in crisis. For health organisations, this myriad of challenges and the massive scope of the problem makes it diYcult to prioritise health improvement initiatives. At HealthPartners, a Minnesota based health care organisation with 800 000 member...

The health care revolution, an inherently complex undertaking, has been oversimplified. With the nation moving into and election year, it is incumbent upon the media, health plans, and policymakers to enlarge and enlighten the health care debate.

There is concern that many young adults (ages 19--29) will remain without health insurance in 2014 despite the Affordable Care Act's reforms, including subsidized private coverage offered in new state marketplaces and expanded Medicaid eligibility. How things turn out will likely depend on outreach efforts and states' decisions on expanding Medicaid. Commonwealth Fund Health Insurance Tracking ...

This article presents the results of the evaluation of management for health planning in municipalities in the Southern Brazilian State of Santa Catarina. An evaluation model developed and validated from the theoretical framework for health planning was applied. It was complemented by guidelines for organization and operation of PlanejaSUS (national survey of 2007) and definitions of municipal ...