Addressing the Global Health Crisis: Universal Health Protection Policies 23
Box 1 Financial protection of loss of income during sickness and
paid sick leave
While paid sick leave legislation exists for formal sector workers in 145 of about 190 countries globally, the benefits provided differ widely with regards to definition of work, wages covered, level of income
replacement, duration of payments and other specific conditions. Provisions include both time off work and wage replacement during sickness.
• In countries that offer financial protection for loss of income during sickness, income replacement rates vary between lump sums in 14 per cent of all countries and 100 per cent of wages in 21 per cent of all
countries. More than half of countries provide for replacement rates of between 50 and 75 per cent of wages. • The wage replaced also varies, and may be limited, for example by a ceiling or the exclusion of
supplements. The wage replacement might further be subjected to means testing and waiting times. The period of leave also varies widely: out of a total of 145 countries reviewed, 102 countries provide for one month or
more, while seven provide under seven days. However, even in countries where financial protection for loss of income during sickness exists, workers
in the informal economy are usually totally excluded from income replacement during sickness. Even those who are covered frequently face barriers to accessing paid sick leave, given the fear of losing their jobs, particularly
in times of economic crisis andor high unemployment
Source: Scheil-Adlung and Sandner, 2010.
4.5. Embedding universal health protection in national floors of social protection
While health protection can boost economic growth and sustainable development, other policy sectors need to be aligned to address key issues that are observed in the health
sector but originate from issues beyond: Inequities in access to health care are frequently deriving from lack of work and income and poverty. Thus labour market policies, e.g.
transforming informal into formal economies, unemployment, and poverty alleviation policies are of particular importance to achieve progress regarding universal health
coverage that results in sustainable development and inclusive growth.
An adequate policy framework providing guidance on related policies is available in ILO Recommendation 202 concerning national floors of social protection. The
Recommendation focuses on progress on achieving universal health protection and socio- economic complementary policies table 5.
Universal health protection policies: According to Recommendation 202, the objective of health protection policies is to strive for universal coverage that meets the criteria of
availability, accessibility, acceptability and quality and aims at higher levels of protection as outlined in Convention No. 102. Further, achieving policy coherence is of key
importance.
Key policy principles to be applied include universality defined as access to quality services for all in need that is based on rights, social inclusion, non-discrimination,
responsiveness to basic and special needs, participation including social dialogue.
Essential components of benefits to be guaranteed include in-kind benefits such as curative, preventive and maternal care based on an adequate level of quality health services
inpatient outpatient and drugs. Further, cash benefits should be included to provide financial protection e.g. transport costs and reduction abolition of impoverishment due to
health expenditure.
In order to be inclusive, financing should be based on solidarity in financing by increasing risk- pooling and minimizing unpooled private health expenditure e.g. due to user fees,
24 Addressing the Global Health Crisis: Universal Health Protection Policies
constrained benefit packages, low quality. A diversity of financing mechanisms and delivery, including tax- and contribution premium-based systems can be applied.
Complementary policies: The suggested health protection policies should be accompanied by supportive complementary policies that focus on analysing and closing
gaps in social security coverage, benefits and services with a view to alleviating poverty.
Further, it is considered highly important to develop fiscal space, ensuring financial and economic sustainability and monitoring progress.
Finally, achieving policy coherence with social, economic and employment policies such as promoting formal employment as well as strengthening capacities of the social security
schemes and systems is of particular importance.
Table 5: Embedding health protection coverage in social protection floor policies based on ILO
Recommendation No. 202
Objectives
•Universal coverage providing access to a nationally defined set of goods or services for essential health care, including preventive and maternal care
•Meeting the criteria of availability, accessibility, acceptability and quality •Aiming at achieving higher levels of protection as outlined in Convention No.
102 •Achieving policy coherence
Policy principles
•Universality access to quality services for all in need • Rights-based approach
•Social inclusion •Non-discrimination
•Responsiveness to basic and special needs •Participation including social dialogue
Key components of essential health benefits
•In-kind benefits including curative, preventive and maternal care based on an adequate level of quality health services inpatient outpatient and
drugs •Cash benefits providing financial protection e.g. transport costs,and
reduction abolition of impoverishment due to health expenditure
Financing
•Solidarity in financing by increasing risk- pooling and minimizing unpooled private health expenditure e.g. due to user fees, constrained benefit
packages, low quality •Diversity of financing mechanisms and delivery ,including tax- and
contribution premium-based systems
Complementary policies
•Analysing gaps in social security coverage, benefits and services with a view to poverty alleviation
•Developing fiscal space, ensuring financial and economic sustainability and monitoring progress
•Coherence with social, economic and employment policies such as promoting formal employment
•Strengthening capacities and monitoring of the social security system
Addressing the Global Health Crisis: Universal Health Protection Policies 25
If well designed and implemented such health protection policies embedded in national social protection floors can be a catalyst for sustainable development, economic
growth and equity. Scaling up global and national health coverage rates and providing effective access to necessary health benefits, particularly in low- and middle-income
countries, will end the downward spiral of ill-health and poverty and contribute to more equitably shared prosperity. Further, in addressing equally the needs for essential health
care and income support, the policies suggested provide ample scope for tackling the root causes of inequities in access to health care and contributing to universal coverage of
social protection in health. When implementing coherent policies across the social, economic and health sectors, governments should emphasize poverty alleviation and
labour market policies in order to avoid unintended increase in inequality and to create economic spill-over effects.
5. Conclusions
