The Health Systems: Their Structure and Performance Facing the Pandemic

We put particular emphasis on the health system since we consider not only that it has attracted less attention in most studies on the welfare state but also because the way health services are structured and organized tells us more clearly both about the differences between countries and between the different types of welfare regimes. Health services combine the action of the State, social actors, the market, and the family in a more complex and evocative manner. It is also less evident that the private sector is a negative factor, as it is the case for pensions, as it can be, first, non-profit, or offer certain services that the State does not offer, or be contracted and strictly regulated by the government. It is also important to note that in most cases in Latin America, practically no social actors intervene in the pension system, whereas they actively take part in the health services.