The authors discuss the important topic of healthcare access for migrant workers, who face numerous health challenges when working abroad. Migrant workers often lack access to healthcare or the means to pay for it, leading to significant barriers such as cost, lack of insurance, communication, and cultural differences. The proposal suggests creating a new compact for migrant health between sending and receiving countries to ensure high-quality healthcare services for migrant workers. One solution proposed is the establishment of a pooled health insurance system involving the top home and host countries, which could spread the financial risks and burden of healthcare costs across a larger group of people. This would enable greater access and affordability to healthcare for migrant workers, ultimately increasing their productivity and well-being.
The authors also explore different options for designing an insurance pool and emphasizes the importance of comparing coverage, benefits, and payments of both receiving and sending countries. The authors suggests a 1×1 approach as a potential starting point, in which one sending country and one receiving country make a bilateral agreement to create a mutual health insurance pool. However, it also notes the limitations of this approach.Overall, the authors highlights the need for a comprehensive framework to address the healthcare access challenges faced by migrant workers and proposes practical solutions to provide them with the necessary support and protection.
