Retirement Decision of Belgian Couples and the Impact of the Social Security System

The rather Byzantine nature of Chile’s social security system has always left me a bit confounded—even dazed. I knew that it was important, since it directly affected many Chileans’ retirement plans, health care, and family allowances, but until I read this book, I was unable to fathom the intricacies of it. This is one of the book’s many strengths: it simultaneously delineates the historical and political dimensions of Chile’s social security system and clarifies its specific laws and provisions. However, this book does more than explain Chile’s social security system, although that alone is a valuable contribution. It places the social security system in the context of twentieth-century Chilean politics and state development, offering a succinct, insightful assessment of these subjects. My one criticism is that Borzutzky does not include Chileans’ thoughts and voices on the social security system; that dimension would have enriched this study and emphasized the human impact of the policies she so clearly describes.The author’s focus on the state and the political parties illustrates how the social security system both reflected and furthered Chile’s myth of national unity. Underpinning this myth was the widely held assumption that the Chilean state and political institutions provided stability and worked to serve the needs of the people. The social security system buttressed this myth by offering people the partial reality and the larger illusion that, sooner or later, the state would indeed meet their needs and end the rampant inequalities that plagued society. In an interesting departure from much of the literature, Silvia Borzutzky defines this relationship as clientelistic. “The state and more specifically the politicians, became the patron that had the ultimate control over the national resources, while the development of dyadic ties between political groups and those that controlled parts and parcels of the state became the leitmotif of political activity” (p. xii). She further points out that the myth is just that—a myth—since “profound divisions and inequalities,” not “democracy, unity, and harmony,” characterized Chilean society (p. xv).Borzutzky discusses Chilean politics and the social security system at three critical junctures: the mid-1920s (when it first developed), the late 1960s and early 1970s (when presidents Eduardo Frei attempted to reform it and Salvador Allende hoped to extend it), and the 1970s and 1980s (when Pinochet eviscerated it). Legislation in 1924 and the 1925 constitution, which reflected the power of conservative sectors in Chile, initiated and codified the social security system. This legislation responded both to the growing demands of the urban working and middle classes and to efforts by the conservative elite to stem fundamental changes to the system they controlled and benefited from. Since this legislation established the Chilean state as the dispenser of huge funds, it thereby heightened the power of the state and increased political parties’ desire to run it. Concomitantly, it encouraged the parties to promise the electorate benefits in exchange for their votes. What it did not do was transform the basic economic relationships that obtained in Chile. That was particularly true for rural sectors, which were not included in the social security program.The Frei government attempted to transform aspects of the political and social system, specifically by incorporating more marginal sectors into society under its tutelage, but it primarily succeeded in polarizing society. Frei’s efforts to establish a communitarian state and an integrated society failed because, as Borzutzky notes, “a minimum degree of consensus on the existence of a national interest . . . did not exist in Chile” (p. 95). Although the Frei government introduced bills to expand the social security system, the Right either blocked their passage or introduced ones that undercut them.This polarization and lack of consensus only intensified during the Allende years, which made impossible the passage of bills that would have radically overhauled the social security system and greatly expanded the amount and number of benefits, as well as the population that received them. Allende’s efforts, and the paternalistic definition of the state as the protector of Chileans, ended when the Chilean military overthrew the Popular Unity government and initiated its 17-year-long rule. The military dictatorship that followed privatized the health care and pension system that had been hallmarks of the social security system and replaced the clientalistic state with an authoritarian one. In one of her best chapters, “Winners and Losers,” Borzutzky illustrates the devastating impact that these policies had on millions of Chileans and makes sense of the often puzzling changes in health care policy that the military dictatorship engineered, most of which served to deprive Chile’s poorer sectors of access to health care.Backed by solid research, this book sheds light on modern Chilean history, the ties between politics and state policies, and the connections between political goals and social security.

The Social Security debate: Considering aging, health disparities, and AAN stance

Purpose This research paper aimed to study the legal structure of top-performing health governance systems and compare them with the Indonesian health social security system to identify the main differences and provide recommendations for Indonesian and other developing countries’ health policymakers and administrators. Design/methodology/approach Using formative research with a conceptual approach and statute approach as method in this study. Data was gathered using the document study technique, which studies various documents, especially legal documents related to health law, linked to legal purpose theories. Moreover, the World Health Organization ranking was considered to choose the two countries (France and Singapore) with a high social health security system for comparative analysis. All data collected has been analyzed using a qualitative and theoretical basis. Content analysis was performed by analyzing the legal documents, and the regulatory framework of all three countries was deeply analyzed to draw conclusions and recommendations. Findings Indonesia has specific laws to implement a social security system in the health sector. However, the lack of the best medical facilities and infrastructure and weak implementation of existing laws were identified as major reasons behind the poor health security system compared to comparative countries. Also, as a developing nation Indonesian Government face budgetary pressures and huge population challenges to meet required standards. Thus, the financing approaches used by Singapore and France may help developing countries meet these challenges effectively. Therefore, there is a dire need to strengthen the social health security system all over the country with amendments to laws and ensure the implementation of prevailing laws and regulations. Practical implications Providing understanding related to the social security health system in Indonesia along with a detailed description of the sound social health security system in France and Singapore will further provide an avenue for the researchers to critically analyze this line of study to devise some valuable suggestions further and to draw loopholes in the system. Originality/value A comparative approach for legal studies in the health sector is rare. So, this research advanced the social security health system-related literature and legal studies on the health sector by using this comparative approach to develop policy insights and future research directions, which will further help the field to grow.

Summaries of Papers in This Issue

Most Western industrialized countries currently face a common set of problems: a stagnant or even shrinking population caused by low birth rates, and a rapid increase in expenditures for the social security system. This development has given rise to the question concerning the relation between the demographic development of a country and the development of its social system. In order to determine in which ways demographic developments can influence the social security system, theoretical analysis is required. The result of this analysis will differ according to whether only demographic developments in a narrow sense (i.e., size and (age-)structure of the population) are considered, or whether possible economic consequences of a decreasing and aging population are also taken into account (e.g., declining real growth rates and reduced employment rates). In this sense, one should distinguish between a direct demographic impact (population size and structure) and an indirect demographic impact (economic consequences of demographic developments). Furthermore, the various factors causing the population change (births, deaths, migration developments) should be kept separate, since they may influence the social security system in quite different ways and to a different extent. Finally, the impact of a decreasing and aging population on revenues and expenditures of the social security system depends on the relevant part of the system (public retirement system, public health insurance, etc,) and on particular institutional arrangements characterizing each individual system.

Although migration has multidimensional effects, it seems to have radical consequences in the social sphere. The movement of people and communities brings together, integrates and transforms people of different languages, races, beliefs and traditions. This two-way process of interaction, which affects and transforms the migrating and receiving communities, gives rise to different forms of society and organization. Since international migration movements affect at least two states, interstate cooperation is an indispensable part of migration management. Especially today, bilateral, regional and global cooperation plays an important role in the management of migration. Nevertheless, there is no agreed global consensus on migration management. The international refugee regime is an exception to this. Globalization and increased labor mobility have made migration processes one of the most important demographic and economic dynamics of the modern world. Migration does not mean only the movement of population; It also has direct effects on social security systems, labor markets and economic growth. In this context, studies on the economic consequences of migration in terms of social security reveal how demographic development affects social welfare and security systems in the long run. Migration is one of the main factors causing significant changes in population structure. As migrant workers are generally concentrated in younger age groups, they contribute to the youth population in countries with aging populations. This situation has a positive effect on demographic development, increases labor supply and plays a balancing role in the financing of social security systems. However, the impact of migration is closely related to the integration policy and economic structure of the host country towards immigrants. Migration processes and demographic development have important economic consequences for social security systems. The integration of immigrants into the social security system is important for the sustainability of both the labor market and the social security system. In order to ensure that social security systems are balanced and sustainable in the long term, the contributions of immigrants and the level of their benefit from social assistance must be carefully managed. Active participation of immigrants in the labor market and participation in the social security system both creates economic opportunities for immigrant-receiving countries and supports the financing of social security systems. Keywords: migration, population, demography, economy, social situation, immigrant, labor, unemployment, integration.

북한의 국적을 소지한 공민은 북한 헌법상 규정되어 있는 무상치료를 받을 수 있는 권리를 갖게 되며, 질병 및 장애가 있거나 노동력을 상실한 자, 그리고 노인 및 어린이의 경우는 국가로부터 물질적 지원과 혜택을 받을 권리를 가진다. 이 권리는 국가로부터 원칙적으로 무상치료제의 혜택을 받게 되며 각종 요양소를 비롯한 의료시설을 제공 받을 수 있도록 헌법과 각종 부문법규를 통해 보장받는다. 북한은 일찍이 1978년 4월 「사회주의노동법」을 처음 채택하면서 사회보장에 관하여 일반적으로 규정해 왔다. 이후 2008년 1월「사회보장법」을 처음 채택하면서 사회보장에 대한 기본적 틀을 갖추고 있다. 이는 북한 주민에 대한 하나의 사회보장제 유인책으로서 입법된 것으로 보인다. 과거와 달리 북한의 「외국인투자기업 노동규정」이나 「개성 공업지구 노동규정」은 근로계약제의 도입 등 나름의 변화를 통해 북한 사회보장제도 차원의 큰 획을 긋는 변화로 분석된다. 이 논문에서는 시기적으로 북한 정권 초기인 1948년 헌법상에서 처음으로 국가사회 보험 및 사회보장제도를 규정했기 때문에 지금까지 변화해 온 헌법상 사회보장 규정의 연혁을 살펴보고자 한다. 그리고 사회보장 관련한 기본법의 성격을 가진 북한「사회보장법」의 주요 내용을 알아보고, 최근 법률 환경의 변화에 따라 속속 입법되고 개정돼 온 개별 부문법규의 사회보장제도의 내용을 고찰한다. 사회보장제도가 북한을 바라보는 또 하나의 기준 내지 척도가 된다는 점에서 사회적 기본권으로서의 사회보장제에 대한 연구는 중요하다고 하겠다. 다만, 이와 관련한 연구 범위를 우리의 사회보장제도 일반론에서 다루어지는 소득보장제도와 의료보장 및 사회서비스제도에 대해서는 논외로 하되, 관련 법률에 대한 소개는 간략히 다루어 북한 사회보장제도의 이해에 도움을 주고자 한다.Any citizen holding North Korean nationality has a right to receive free medical care specified in the Constitution of North Korea, and those suffering from diseases, the physically-challenged or those unable to work, seniors and children have rights to receive material support and benefits from the nation. In principle, the right involves benefits related to free medical care provided by the nation, and the Constitution and various relevant regulations guarantee provision of a variety of nursing homes and medical institutions. North Korea has defined matters associated with social security as it first adopted the “Socialism Labor Law” in April, 1978. Afterward, it adopted the first “Social Security Law” in January 2008, which prepared a basic framework of social security. This might have been legislated to induce North Korean citizens into a uniform social security system. Unlike the past, the “Labor Regulations for Foreign-Invested Enterprises” or “Labor Regulations for Gaeseong Industrial Complex” in North Korea seem to have marked a new era in terms of the social security system as it demonstrated changes, such as adopting labor (employment) contracts. The paper examines the national social insurance and social security system presented in the Constitution during the initial stage of its administration in 1948 based on the fundamental rights of the society. In addition, the paper looks into major matters set forth in the “Social Security Law” of North Korea that is characterized as the fundamental law related to social security and the social security system of individual regulations legislated and/or amended according to the latest changes to the legal environment are considered. Taking into account that the social security system may be a(n) standard or index of perceiving North Korea, it is significant to study the system as the fundamental right of a given society. However, the study leaves out income security, medical security and social service system that are commonly dealt in our general social security system. The purpose of this study is to briefly introduce related laws and regulations to provide an understanding of the social security system in North Korea.

This paper critically analyses EU law on patient mobility, which has developed in the last decade. It covers the European Court of Justice case law applying internal market rules to social security coverage of foreign health treatment, its relationship with the EU rules on the co-ordination of social security systems, and the recent attempts at codifying the case law. The most recent EFTA Court judgment in the Rindal case, and its potential effects on EU law if the Court of Justice adopts the same reasoning in the pending Elchinov case, are investigated. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate the implications of EU law on patient mobility on national social security systems, namely their autonomy to define the scope of their coverage of health care treatment, and the consequences, within the framework of EU law, of applying certain legal techniques to define their social packages. Special emphasis is put on the new EU Member States and Croatia. It is argued that these states are in a particularly delicate position in relation to EU law in terms of maintaining the financial stability and the social (in terms of solidarity) character of their social security systems. The paper proposes certain solutions to accomplish a twofold objective: improving legal certainty at the European level (thus facilitating the free movement of patients), while, at the same time, respecting the Member States’ freedom to organise their social systems, in order to protect the solidarity on which those systems are based.

Constitutional right to social security

This paper discusses in detail the theory of non-optimum analysis on social security systems. It points out that the main problem of exploring indefinite social management lies in the lack of non-optimum analysis on the social system. The paper establishes the syndrome and empirical analysis based on the non-optimum category of the social security. At the same time, it also puts forward the non-optimum measurement of the social security along with non-optimum tracing and self-organization of the social systems. The formation of non-optimum social order serves as the basis for existence of optimum social order. Besides, the various characteristics and functions of the optimum social system can be measured from the non-optimum analysis. By summing the practice, this paper has also come at the measurement of non-optimum of the social system, established the conception of non-optimum inversion principle and put forward the method of entropy function based on "three tenses" composed three steps of non-optimum recognition. Finally, according to the previous practice of optimal social, kind of method has been developed to approach the systems of social risk analysis.

A social welfare system is a social system that responds to and meets the welfare needs of social members. It is necessary to establish a social welfare system according to the structure of welfare needs of social members. According to the baseline equity welfare system, the welfare needs can be divided into two levels: baseline welfare needs and non-baseline welfare needs. Correspondingly, the universally integrated social welfare system includes three basic types: the baseline welfare system, which meets the baseline welfare needs and manifests the consistency of rights; the non-baseline welfare system, which meets the non-baseline welfare needs and manifests differences of rights; and the cross-baseline welfare system that takes into account both the baseline and non-baseline needs, manifesting both the consistency and differences of rights of social members.

中國社會保險對農民工權益的影響 - 以深圳、上海及成都為例

Most developed countries in the world strive to provide their citizens with adequate living conditions and ensure a high level of social security. This security system also includes social assistance, which is the last level of state policy in supporting its citizens who find themselves in a difficult life situation. Apart from fulfilling a protective role, the social welfare system also plays a stabilizing role in the socio-economic policy of the state. Problems related to the social system and financial resources allocated to their functioning from the state budget are the subject of many scientific publications around the world. Meanwhile, in Poland, there are few scientific publications on the effectiveness and financing of expenditure for social purposes, including the social assistance system. Identifying the level of financial resources allocated to the social assistance system may be the first step to rationalizing the system of financial transfers from the state budget. The article aims is to identify the level of budgetary expenditure allocated in Poland in 2015-2018 to the social assistance system. The analyzes carried out indicate that in the period 2015-2018, budget expenditure on the social assistance system and supporting families increased. In 2018, these expenses accounted for as much as 12.7% of the total state budget expenditure. There is a noticeable tendency consisting of reducing financial resources allocated to social assistance while increasing budgetary transfers directed to families with children - government's "Family 500+" program.

An all-round rural social security system of China has a very important strategic effect on the Chinese development of agriculture and country, along with Chinese modernization construction. After decades of efforts, construction of the rural social security system of China has got the obvious achievements. However, many problems of the rural social security system still exist, which evidently reflect those fields such as the narrow coverage of social security, the low social security level and the limited financing channels of social security funds. In the following development, many measures should be taken to perfect the rural social security system of China, including clarifying the construction emphasis of the rural social security system, increasing the governmental investment in the rural social security system, setting up the unified management system of social security, doing well the propaganda and service work of the rural social security, as well as perfecting the supervision system of the rural social security.

China's rural social assistance security system is a national system that meets the basic survival needs of the rural poor, safeguards their rights to survival, and helps them get out of the survival crisis. It is the last layer of safety net to maintain social stability, promote rural economic development, and guarantee the basic living for peasants. China's rural social assistance security system has gone through decades of the development from emergency relief to guaranteed assistance, and many experts and scholars have conducted in-depth research and discussions on it. On the basis of fully searching for domestic and foreign literature, systematic reading of literature content, careful analysis and screening of experts' views, this paper classifies and summarizes the views and discussion of experts and scholars, trying to reflect the development of China's rural social assistance security system and running status. It can make readers further study China's rural social security system, at the same time, providing a reference for other developing countries in the world to improve the progress of social security.