With regard to the distribution of the burden of
funding, the health system can be considered equitable
if the poor do not pay more than the rich relative
to their capacity to pay (including all sources of funding
such as taxes, premiums for coverage and out-ofpocket
expenditure). This means that funding should
be proportional or progressive, with the degree of
progressivity being a matter of national choice.
Over the long run, the share of private funding
(mostly out-of-pocket payments) in Portugal
has decreased and the share of public funding has
increased, leading in general to more equitable health