Pros
UHC remains unfulfilled despite
global efforts to increase access Increased equity in
to care. Galvani et al. (2022) state healthcare access.
that the global UHC goal has UHC acts as a financial
remained elusive among many protection for
countries worldwide with severe households
effects on global south nations. It improves healthcare
outcomes through
reduction of prevalence
Who It Impacts diseases
People with improved
Low- and middle-income healthcare outcomes
populations contribute to economic
Governments growth since more will
Healthcare providers be productive
Cons
Increased UHC Means
Financial protection for All. Implementation costs
are high.
Resource distribution in
underserved areas is
challenging.
Rapid implementation
overwhelms healthcare
systems leading to high
quality care.
UHC can be used to
increase taxes as a means
for its funding.
Why the policy is an issue?
• Healthcare services for all are essential yet many individuals worldwide still lack
access to it. The lack of UHC has created significant healthcare disparities with severe
consequences on low- and middle-income households.
• Crowley et al. (2020) report that UHC ensures that vulnerable populations access the
necessary healthcare services without suffering financial hardship. Individuals under the
universal healthcare coverage access quality services that lead to decline of preventable
illnesses.
• Many nations understand the benefits of UHC but meeting the recommended standards
for their populations is often difficult due to the huge budget needed to implement the
policy.
• In short, universal healthcare coverage is a global healthcare issue that affects
most countries, healthcare providers and individuals worldwide.
• What are the pros and cons of the policy?
Pros: The UHC policy ensures increased equity in healthcare access. Zieff et al. (2020)
state that UHC aims at ensuring that everyone has access to care services. Vulnerable
populations like the poor fail to access care services because of lack of adequate finance
for medical services. The UHC programs ensures that individuals that are unable to pay
for care services have access to them at affordable or no costs (Galvani et al., 2022).
Other benefits include financial protection, improved healthcare outcomes among
vulnerable populations and long-term productivity in a country.
Cons: The initial UHC implementation costs strain government budgets in low-income
nations. Also, Crowley et al. (2020) reveal that implementers find challenges of
resource allocation issues because of the greater need of services among many people.
UHC may bring quality concerns when it is expanded rapidly because of long waiting
queues and overworking of healthcare providers. Most governments increase taxes to
raise revenue for UHC funding (Zieff et al., 2020). The tax increase may lead to
increase in cost of living.
Policy implementation impact
Healthcare providers: Ensures adequate staffing, training and resources; hence,
improved working conditions for providers. However, UHC increases demand for
healthcare services (Galvani et al., 2022). The high demand increases workload for
healthcare providers.
Patients: Patients under UHC enjoy financial protection because UHC eliminates out-
of-pocket costs. Patients also get better care services that improve their healthcare
outcomes. Nevertheless, expansion of UHC may lead to increase in wait times among
patients receiving care services.
Governments: Governments experience financial strain to provide adequate resources
and funds needed for UHC implementation. Crowley et al. (2020) report that most
governments have experienced increased public spending leading to higher taxes
(Galvani et al., 2022). Effective implementation of UHC brings long-term economic
growth because healthy people become more productive.
