More individuals report unmet needs in relation to oral health care. Thus Portugal already has a total percentage of 15.7% (compared with 5.5% in the EU), with the lowest income group accounting for 28.8% (EU 10.4%).
The barriers to access to health care remain relevant in Portugal, and especially marked from the socio-economic point of view. An income-related social gradient has been observed for medical treatments in general, but above all a high degree of unmet need, with a marked socioeconomic gradient, in oral health, mental health and medicines. Compared to the rest of Europe, Portugal does not suffer from greater barriers to access, but these barriers are more marked from the socio-economic point of view, in particular with regard to financial constraints.
The barriers to access to health care remain relevant in Portugal, and especially marked from the socio-economic point of view. An income-related social gradient has been observed for medical treatments in general, but above all a high degree of unmet need, with a marked socioeconomic gradient, in oral health, mental health and medicines. Compared to the rest of Europe, Portugal does not suffer from greater barriers to access, but these barriers are more marked from the socio-economic point of view, in particular with regard to financial constraints.
In this context, three notable and expected situations should be highlighted: iniquity in the use and access to oral health, mental health, and medicines. In these three fields, there are not only strong limitations in access, but these limitations disproportionately affect the poorest. In the case of oral health and mental health, this inequity is explained by the lack of provision of these services in the National Health Service, and the need to be largely satisfied through the private sector, that is, only accessible to those who have insurance or ability to pay.
In the case of oral health, attempts were made to mitigate this situation through check-dentist, to be able to use the private sector, but possibly this initiative failed to reduce inequity.
Thus, it will not be possible to improve access to certain care, nor to reduce catastrophic health expenditures without a determined action in S.N.S. (Portuguese national health service) in the field of oral health and mental health, and in improving access to medicines for the most deprived citizens.
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