Universal health coverage has been set as a possible umbrella goal for health in the post-2015 development agenda. ¹ Whether it is a means to an end or an end in itself and whether it is measureable are subjects of heated debate. ² In this issue of the Bulletin , Kutzin argues that universal health coverage not only leads to better health and to financial protection for households, but that it is valuable for its own sake. ³ More recently, attention has shifted to just what the goal should be: whether universal coverage or universal access. This editorial focuses on this question.