Narrow Your Choices

Refine By Topic

Refine By Series

Refine By Language

Refine By Date

—

Refine By IMF Taxonomy

Refine By JEL Taxonomy

Refine by LOC Taxonomy

Refine By THEMA Taxonomy

  • Print
  • Save

Western Hemisphere > Dominica

You are looking at 1 - 2 of 2 items for :

  • Type: Journal Issue x
  • National Government Expenditures and Health x
Clear All Modify Search
Cover IMF Working Papers
Can the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union Afford to Grow Old?
Mr. Hunter K Monroe
The demographic transition in the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU) now underway is rapid compared with international experience, and emigration is playing a particularly large role. This paper describes and quantifies several factors which could magnify the challenge of pension reform. First, for some ECCU countries, continued emigration at historical rates would considerably advance the projected date at which pension scheme assets are depleted. Second, there is a significant risk that assets will underperform, given the large exposures to the highly-leveraged public sector and to a lesser extent the record with private sector investments. Third, portfolio diversification away from the public sector could be complicated by age-related pressure for greater central government health spending.
Keywords:
WP; ECCU emigration rate; rate; ECCU member; OECD census data; ECCU pension reform; Pension systems; migration; ECCU pension schemes; Pensions; Pension spending; Public sector; Health care spending; Caribbean
Cover IMF Working Papers
Universal Health Care 101: Lessons for the Eastern Caribbean and Beyond
Ms. Evridiki Tsounta
Despite the increasing interest in universal health care, little is known about the optimal way to finance, design, and implement it. This paper attempts to fill this gap by providing some general policy recommendations on this important issue. While most of the paper addresses the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU) countries, its policy implications are applicable to any country. The paper finds that the best financing option is country-specific depending on a country’s economic, cultural, institutional, demographic and epidemiological characteristics, as well as political economy considerations. However, taxation should be the primary financing source. It also concludes that an appropriate and realistic benefit package would need to be designed to ensure the system’s financial viability. Regarding the optimal way to implement universal health care, certain preconditions are needed, including sound public administration, a small informal economy, and a transparent health financing system that builds social consensus.
Keywords:
WP; health cost; health system; government Health spending; health financing goal; country authorities; Health economics; government expenditure; financing system; health financing; ECCU country; ECCU health system; health card; health outcome; health system attainment; health affair; health system performance; Health care spending; Health care; Social security contributions; Aging; Caribbean