The Technical Commission on Medical Care and Sickness Insurance (TC Health) aims at identifying the key overlapping policy and administrative challenges with the overall social security system to insure interoperability of benefits, improved coordination and collaboration, resulting in increased efficiency and better health for all.
The TC Health assembles, exchanges and shares expertise with key stakeholders on a global scale, contributing to drafting innovative strategies, guidelines and providing efficient support to ISSA Member institutions.
Given the crosscutting nature of health, which spans the entire policy agenda - influencing economic growth, demographic trends and social development - social security organizations find themselves increasingly involved in the design of more effective policies and the implementation of innovative programmes to help address key health challenges.
Undeniably, health has become a priority on the international agenda, even more with the COVID-19 pandemic. It is a major element of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) agenda, with one comprehensive goal – SDG 3: “Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages”. Hence, all countries address current challenges and adapt to subsequent changes in healthcare needs, such as:
- Universal healthcare, which is accessible, affordable and of high quality: as a key factor for moving together to build a healthier world, access to health care is a pivotal point of our health systems. It eliminates not only needless suffering but is essential to realise fundamental goals of social justice;
- The changing needs of an ageing population and long-term care (LTC): with increased life expectancy and with the traditional means of support disappearing, there is a need to coordinate services in order to reduce pressure on the health system whilst promoting autonomous living in the old age (or “ageing-in-place”);
- Social security systems facing increasing (age-related) spending: coinciding with the demographic and epidemiological transition, social security systems have entered an era of unprecedented scientific and medical technological innovations. Creating sustainable access and integrating this evolution is a source of growing concern, to find appropriate answers and taking proactive initiatives to improve access at affordable costs.
To effectively address all national public health challenges, the international dimension needs to be considered, to provide support to social security organizations facing these issues and ensure that adequate, effective and affordable health protection is available for all.