Medical bills 'plunge millions into poverty'

Source Ottawa Citizen

ore than 100 million people are plunged into poverty every year by illness or "catastrophic" medical bills, the World Health Organization said Monday, launching a global drive for universal health care. "In my view, universal coverage is an admirable goal and a timely one. We have to bite the bullet," said WHO Director General Margaret Chan, presenting the report in Berlin. "This year's WHO report is designed to encourage every country in the world to adopt policies that will extend policies to more people and reduce the number of people who risk financial ruin," added Chan. The agency's annual report, devoted this year to financing health systems, underlined that the need for universal health coverage "has never been greater" with the economic slowdown, globalization of disease and aging populations that need more care for chronic conditions. "If health systems do not find the right answers now, the bill further down the line is going to keep getting higher and bigger," Chan warned.