WELFARE STATE, UNMET HEALTH CARE NEEDS AND SOCIAL POLICY TO ELIMINATE HEALTH INEQUALITIES

Introduction: The welfare state is characterized by an expanded social function and aims at the well-being of its citizens. Social policy is a key pillar of its operation. Purpose: The review of the literature on the typologies of the welfare state and the proposal of health policies for the elimination of health inequalities. Methodology: Review of literature in international databases, using as keywords "welfare state, typologies, unmet needs, health inequalities". Results: The welfare state was studied by many researchers, such as Titmuss, Espring-Andersen and Ferrera, who classified it into models. The typologies they proposed were criticized for their shortcomings and weaknesses, but can be used as a tool for comparison and evolution. The failure of the welfare state is reflected in its inability to eliminate social inequalities. One category of inequalities is health inequalities that occur to varying degrees across health systems. Through surveys, recipients of health services can report their unmet needs for health care, resulting conclusions about unequal access, use and quality of services and investigate the causal factors related to or not related to the health system of each country. Conclusions: The removal of social inequalities comes with the adoption of health policies. The study of the different models of the welfare state and the unmet needs of the citizens comparatively highlights the weaknesses of the state and the way in which it must adapt to the new data. Reforms are needed and must be done with particular emphasis on vulnerable population