ABSTRACT

This chapter addresses the role of economic resources in social policy for the aged in Asia and the Pacific region. When the direction of social policies changes, people often ascribe the shift to changes in ideology or to political maneuvering. Frequently lost in these considerations are the powerful roles demography and economics play in shaping social policy. Worldwide, countries provide social security old-age benefits in remarkably diverse ways, reflecting differences in level of development and in historical experience. Probably the most important social security issue in Asia is the low level of workforce coverage in many countries. Pension reform in Asia and the Pacific is taking place in some patterns. The provident funds considered here in the context of social security programs are mandatory and are managed by governmental agencies. No places are the priorities of the economic development agenda and the demographic transformation of the population more apparent than in the provision of palliative long-term care services.