Improving access to the health care system for disadvantaged groups with the help of private health insurance in Portugal

Abstract

The world’s population is ageing, and so is the Portuguese population. (Instituto National de Estatistica, 2022c) With an aging population, it is especially important to make sure that people age healthily and do not become a greater burden on the system. This master thesis investigates the possibilities of supporting especially the disadvantaged, poor and old population with a private health insurance. The Portuguese market was analyzed to better understand the problem structure, and a benchmark analysis was performed to identify possible solutions. The result brought different solutions, which were investigated in more detail. The result shows that the problem can only be addressed by a combination of solutions. Attention has to be paid to the costs as well as to the revenue structure. The cost structure represents a larger solution potential, since more approaches were identified, and initiatives do already exist. More research needs to be done specifically on the revenue side. Especially with regards to legal regulations.

Date of Award	25 Jan 2023
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Rute Xavier (Supervisor)