Universal Health Coverage: Why health insurance schemes are leaving the poor behind

Universal health coverage (UHC) means that all people get the treatment they need without fear of falling into poverty. Unfortunately, in the name of UHC, some donors and developing country governments are promoting health insurance schemes that exclude the majority of people and leave the poor behind.

These schemes prioritize advantaged groups in the formal sector and drive up inequality. Rather than collecting contributions from people who are too poor to pay, the countries making most progress towards UHC have prioritized spending on health from general taxation either on its own or pooled with formal sector payroll taxes and international aid. Donors and governments should abandon unworkable insurance schemes and focus on financing that works to deliver universal and equitable health care for all.