Abstract

FRANCO-GIRALDO, Àlvaro. Health systems under market conditions: the reforms carried out during the last quarter century. Rev. Fac. Nac. Salud Pública [online]. 2014, vol.32, n.1, pp.98-107. ISSN 0120-386X.

OBJECTIVE: traditionally, health systems in Latin America (LA) have been characterized as segmented models, however this article explores the changes based on market mechanisms introduced in the reforms of the last quarter century. METHODOLOGY market conditions are taken as an analytical axis determining the configurations and results of health systems seen today in the majority of countries. The analysis is complemented by the presence or absence of regulatory mechanisms which reduce the negative impact of market imperfections on health. DISCUSSION:this paper aims to characterize various health care market types while taking into account the function of the State, and its articulation within the public-private sector after analyzing some of the types of health system that are related to the market models. CONCLUSION: the market mechanisms introduced in the health reforms in the last quarter century in most Latin American countries have transformed health services in favor of the transnational financial market, thus generating inequity, inefficiency, corruption and financial imbalance in the health system, which in turn has a negative effect in the health conditions of the population.

Keywords : market; health; health systems; State; Latin America.

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