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About This Book
In 1990, Carmelo Mesa-Lago, the foremost authority on social security in Latin America, concluded that all of the region's programs were imperiled, especially those in the most advanced nations. His study of twenty countries, originally sponsored by the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America, critically reviews major financial problems, low and uneven population coverage, erosion in benefits, increasing costs, and the impact of social security on development.In words that eerily echo current U.S. debates, Mesa-Lago analyzes virtually all social insurance programs: old age, disability and survivors' pensions; health care; occupational hazards; family allowances; and unemployment. For social security specialists, this impressive study will serve as a comprehensive regional handbook on the legal, administrative, and financial features of Latin America's programs. Students of comparative policy and applied economics will find Mesa-Lago's methodology, analytical framework, and policy recommendations invaluable.
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Table of contents
- Contents
- Tables
- Acronyms
- Introduction
- 1. The Evolution of Social Security in Latin America, Its Problems and Relationship with Development
- 2. Costa Rica: A Latecomer Turned Boomer
- 3. Cuba: Socialism and Statization
- 4. Chile: Pioneer in Adoption and Privatization
- 5. Mexico: The Challenge of Universalization
- 6. Peru: A Midstreamer's Premature Crisis
- 7. Uruguay: The Troubled Welfare State
- 8. The Needed Reform: Strategies and Obstacles
- Appendix Tables
- Notes
- Index