AUGE and Fall of Public Health Policy in Chile

Abstract

This article analyzes the formulation and implementation of a public policy on health, initiated in Chile in 2002-2005 during the Government of President Ricardo Lagos. Whereas in particular one of the main axes of this health policy, based on law No. 19.966 “General regime in health guarantees”, known as Act boom or GES. This reform of the health system, according to its creators, was aimed at resolving “equity gaps” in health. The GES, “soul of the reform”, under the logic of the prevailing socio-economic model in Chile, was only written in a role, because the actions implemented to achieve it, gone away from this principle. The AUGE moves toward a rapid fall. It will not solve the problems of health of the population, for reasons ranging from its origin, not to consider the social determinants in their ideology; passing through flaws in its implementation, it needs to close gaps in terms of: increase in public expenditure on health, lack of infrastructure and technology, shortage of physicians as specialists and professionals non-medical workers and training of professionals committed to the public sector. The AUGE represents the anti-health. With this perspective, it is necessary to let posed a question: what is the role of the public health for decision making in public health policy?