title: [The health system of Venezuela].
abstract: This paper describes the Venezuelan health system, including its structure and coverage, financial sources, human and material resources and its stewardship functions. This system comprises a public and a private sector. The public sector includes the Ministry of Popular Power for Health (MS) and several social security institutions, salient among them the Venezuelan Institute for Social Security (IVSS). The MH is financed with federal, state and county contributions. The IVSS is financed with employer, employee and government contributions. These two agencies provide services in their own facilities. The private sector includes providers offering services on an out-of-pocket basis and private insurance companies. The Venezuelan health system is undergoing a process of reform since the adoption of the 1999 Constitution which calls for the establishment of a national public health system. The reform process is now headed by the Barrio Adentro program.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigación en Nutrición y Salud, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Morelos, México. bonvecchio@insp.mx
authors.forename: Anabelle
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bonvecchio
authors.forename: Victor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Becerril-Montekio
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carriedo-Lutzenkirchen
authors.forename: Maritza
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Landaeta-Jiménez
mesh_terms: D003256:Community Participation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003710:Demography; D005381:Financing, Organized / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006078:Government Programs / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D018166:Health Care Reform; D005102:Health Expenditures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006295:Health Resources / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000600:supply & distribution; D006296:Health Services / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006298:Health Services Administration / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D007342:Insurance Benefits / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019458:Insurance Coverage / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007348:Insurance, Health / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009313:National Health Programs / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009936:Organizational Innovation; D017149:Private Sector / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011635:Public Health Administration / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D012943:Social Security / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014687:Venezuela; D014798:Vital Statistics