The insurance schemes in place for self-employed workers in the region are usually adaptations of the model created for salaried workers. These mechanisms do not address their needs and characteristics in the best way, which is reflected in lower insurance levels. An alternative is to advance in the optimization of schemes. This document details the procedures that self-employed workers must follow to access and contribute to social security in Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru. The steps to be followed to meet the requirements set out in the existing regulations governing social security and the payment of taxes are documented in each case, from the users’ perspective. Significant variations in complexity are documented in each scheme, identifying opportunities in procedures and the biases that hinder them (behavioral economics). Although there is no universal solution, there are common elements that could facilitate compliance with obligations to improve the insurance of self-employed workers. These include electronic registration, aggregation of income from various sources; flexible insurance schemes with new products; automatic discounts; coordination of information with the tax and financial systems; and, finally, tax incentives. All of the above are opportunities for innovation that would enable improving existing processes and products based on digital transformation.

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