The challenges facing social security are no secret. They are straining global systems built for a different era. According to the International Labour Organization’s World Social Protection Report 2024-26, a staggering 3.8 billion people around the world are not covered by social protection benefits.
Universal challenges include the following points.
Aging populations and long-term care
The demographic shift toward older populations is accelerating globally, creating unprecedented demand for long-term care services. This trend challenges traditional social security systems and requires innovative approaches to ensure sustainability and equity.
Policies must adapt to better support aging individuals by strengthening bridges between health and social care. Investments in bridging health and social services, home-based care, community support, preventive health, and social measures can reduce institutional dependency and improve quality of life.
Collaboration between public and private sectors will be essential to develop scalable models that address both financial constraints and workforce shortages in long-term care.
Social security systems, coverage, and adequacy
Expanding coverage remains a priority as informal workers and vulnerable populations often fall outside traditional social security frameworks. Inclusive policies must bridge these gaps to ensure universal access to essential benefits.
Adequacy of benefits is equally critical. Systems must balance fiscal sustainability with providing meaningful support that meets basic needs and protects against poverty, especially during economic shocks.
Digital platforms and data-driven approaches can help identify coverage gaps and streamline enrollment processes, making social security more accessible and responsive.
Climate events and migration
Climate-related disasters and migration patterns are reshaping social security needs. Displacement caused by extreme weather events creates new vulnerabilities that require rapid and flexible response mechanisms.
Social protection systems must integrate climate resilience strategies, including emergency cash transfers and adaptive insurance schemes, to safeguard affected populations.
Cross-border cooperation and data sharing will be vital to effectively manage migration flows and ensure the continuity of benefits for mobile populations.
Four technology considerations for social security transformation
The world must move beyond traditional, siloed systems to address these challenges. From a technology perspective, that means looking beyond incremental IT upgrades to consider more substantial improvements.
We must move from siloed, rigid structures to dynamic, integrated, and person-centered systems. The future of social security lies in a collaborative ecosystem where data and services flow seamlessly across agencies and geographic boundaries to serve the whole person.
We cannot wait for the “world in transition” to stabilize. Health and social protection agencies must lead the change with four vital actions.
1. Adopt a person-centered design approach: Put the citizen experience at the heart of your strategy. Map their journeys, understand their pain points, and design intuitive, empowering processes. This means not only looking at individual forms, applications, or steps, but keeping the focus on the full user journey. In this way, the health and social programs sectors should coordinate better, bridging rather than dividing to achieve better outcomes.
This is especially important given the demographic shifts outlined in the Social security developments and trends global report, showing a rapidly aging population and changing family structures. As population needs change, we must remain agile in how we support our communities.
2. Champion interoperability: Interoperability is about more than just a technical upgrade. Leaders must advocate for and invest in the policies, governance, and technical standards that enable secure data sharing across agency lines. These efforts will ensure consistency across all health and social protection programs, enabling quicker eligibility checks, improved access to benefits, and reduced delays.
3. Enhance with AI and emerging technologies: Artificial Intelligence and other emerging technologies can help transform how social security systems operate. Predictive analytics can anticipate risks such as unemployment or deterioration in health, enabling proactive interventions rather than reactive measures. Automation and digital platforms streamline administrative processes, reducing costs and improving service delivery.
These innovations also enhance fraud detection and ensure benefits reach the right individuals quickly. However, the adoption of these technologies must be guided by strong ethical frameworks. Transparency, fairness, and data privacy are essential to maintain trust and prevent bias in decision-making.
4. Focus on outcomes, not just outputs: Shift the measure of success from the number of benefits disbursed to the tangible improvement in people’s well-being, stability, and resilience. Outcome management should be a core principle, meaning systems must track progress toward metrics that measure resilience and empowerment, not just operational efficiency. For instance, it’s important to measure social capital growth or self-reported quality of life for both the user and family members.
The future of social security depends on the strength of our collaboration and our unwavering commitment to the people we serve. The challenges are significant, but so are the opportunities for innovation. Together, social security leaders can build a more integrated, resilient, and person-centered system.
Photo: phototechno, Getty Images
Dr. Héctor Upegui, MD, MSS, PM, OSHM, is Chief Health Officer at Cúram by Merative. Based in Munich, Hector has 30 years of experience as a physician in the social security field. At Cúram, Hector is responsible for strategic initiatives and for identifying new and innovative best practices, especially in the field of industry solutions for health care and social protection. Hector is a member of the European Institute of Social Security, the International Commission on Occupational Health, and the International Network for Workers’ Compensation Insurance
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