Access to affordable healthcare for the low-income population is an important issue around the world.  Different countries and cultures grapple with this universal issue differently, including approaches that use government funded healthcare for all, targeted government insurance programs for low-income populations, and the use of public hospitals and other providers.  In some developing countries that lack a healthcare safety net, microinsurance programs are an increasingly important source of access to healthcare services.

The presenters of this session will explore how different countries have designed their healthcare safety net.  The session will provide comparative information regarding program design, financing arrangements and relative cost, access to care, quality of care, and other issues.  The impact of population demographics and income distribution will be explored as they relate to healthcare safety net design.  In countries without a formal safety net, the presenters will discuss how microinsurance has been used by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and private insurers to fill an important void.

The presenters will discuss how actuaries play an important role in healthcare safety net design.

• John Meerschaert is recognized as a national expert in the Medicaid program, the major source of coverage for the low-income and disabled population in the US.  He currently works with five US state governments, as well as Medicaid managed care organizations and hospital systems, to develop financing arrangements for the Medicaid population.  He also has worked with health care financing systems in other parts of the world, including Nigeria and Colombia.
• Simon Moody is an expert in European health care systems and has worked with both public sector and private sector healthcare clients, including the National Health Service and several private health insurers in the UK.  He also has experience with health insurance in Saudi Arabia and other countries in the Middle East.
• A third presenter will be recruited to provide insight into the healthcare safety net in Asia or Latin America.