Do options exist?

Social security in Latin America has encompassed a broad variety of programs designed to protect workers from the risks of old age, disability, death, common illness, maternity, occupational hazards, and unemployment. In the early 1990s, several Latin American countries implemented structural social security reforms, particularly in health care and in pensions. The contributors to these essays discuss, for the first time anywhere, the theoretical context in which the reforms are taking place, their main attributes, their successes and failures, and recommendations for prospective reformers. The national reforms documented in this book show that it is possible to find a pattern that characterizes the reform process. In addition to pointing out the opportunities for reform that presented themselves in various Latin American nations, the essays also evaluate the equity and welfare implications of the reforms. This work will be necessary reading for scholars of contemporary Latin America and professionals concerned with social security, health care, and social administration.