Thailand’s entire population is insured under one of the three main public health insurance schemes: the Universal Coverage Scheme (UCS), the Social Security Scheme (SSS), and the Civil Servant Medical Benefit Scheme (CSMBS). This study investigated differences in...
Long-term financial sustainability of Rwanda’s universal health coverage model: Challenges and solutions (2011 – 2021) and Vision 2050
Since 2000, Rwanda has made remarkable progress toward universal health coverage (UHC) through a Community-Based Health Insurance (CBHI) system, but now faces chronic financial sustainability challenges as it aims for higher health-care standards under Vision 2050. A...
Reconfiguring health purchasing for universal health coverage: insights from Nepal with relevance to low- and middle-income countries
Nepal's shift to federalism and the National Health Insurance Program (NHIP) aimed for universal health coverage, but persistent structural flaws undermine strategic purchasing and system efficiency. The Ministry of Health and Population’s conflicting roles as...
Challenging inadequate and fragmented primary health care financing: findings from Bangladesh, Indonesia, Maldives, and Nepal
Strengthening primary health care (PHC) is central to achieving universal health coverage in the WHO South-East Asia Region. This study, published in The Lancet Regional Health – Southeast Asia and Health Policy, analyses PHC financing arrangements in Bangladesh,...
The ethics of behaviour-based insurance models: Solidarity-based concerns in Germany’s statutory health insurance
Sickness funds are starting to use digital behavioral data to encourage physical activity among their members, but the ethical and societal implications, especially in solidarity-based insurance systems, are not well understood. While these programs may foster new...
Effect of community-based health insurance on the use of health service and perceived quality of care in Bacho Woreda, central Ethiopia: A mixed method study
Ethiopia's Community Based Health Insurance (CBHI) scheme significantly enhances outpatient care utilization, as evidenced by a study in Bacho Woreda. The research found that CBHI members were more likely to seek healthcare services, with 60% expressing satisfaction...
Navigating Nepal’s health financing system: A road to universal health coverage amid epidemiological and demographic transitions
Nepal is at a critical juncture in its journey toward universal health coverage (UHC), as it confronts the dual challenges of demographic shifts and a growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). These transitions are driving up out-of-pocket (OOP) healthcare...
Health effects of the Brazilian Conditional Cash Transfer programme over 20 years and projections to 2030: a retrospective analysis and modelling study
Conditional cash transfer (CCT) programmes have emerged as powerful tools in addressing poverty and promoting health equity, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Brazil’s Bolsa Família Program (BFP), launched in 2004, stands as one of the world’s most...
Global Health Watch 7: Mobilizing for health justice – Chapter D3, Financing Pandemic Recovery Prevention Preparedness and Response
A chapter in Global Health Watch 7, titled “Financing Pandemic Recovery, Prevention, Preparedness and Response”, critically examines current global health financing structures through the lens of pandemic cycles. Authored by the People’s Health Movement and Daraja...
Forgone Care of doctor’s visits in Germany – Results from three cross-sectional surveys
A study analyzing data from German representative surveys found that 21% of participants reported forgone care in the past year, with higher rates in women and younger adults. The main barriers to accessing care were categorized as systemic, psychological, and...
Economic burden and determinants among hospitalized patients with epilepsy in Thailand
This study analyzes the direct medical costs of hospitalized epilepsy patients in Thailand. These costs are assessed from both a societal perspective—which includes hospital expenditures and payments made by health insurance schemes—and a patient perspective, which...
Willingness to pay for a quality-adjusted life year (QALY) in Pakistan: implications for health policy
This study investigates the willingness to pay (WTP) for one additional Quality-Adjusted Life Year (QALY) among the general population in Pakistan, highlighting the economic constraints in healthcare resource allocation. A survey revealed a mean WTP of 114,006.4...
Implications of U.S. withdrawal from the World Health Organization on health financing in Africa
The U.S. withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO) could severely impact global health financing, especially in Africa, where its previous contributions supported vital health programs for HIV/AIDS, maternal and child health, tuberculosis, and malaria. This...
Towards attaining universal health coverage in Kazakhstan: Challenges and important next steps
Kazakhstan’s journey toward universal health coverage (UHC) has been shaped by its post-Soviet legacy of an underfunded, hospital-centric healthcare system and a range of structural challenges. In Towards attaining universal health coverage in Kazakhstan: Challenges...
Effectiveness of PFHI Schemes in India
A study in Economic & Political Weekly by Mamta Chaudhary, Prakash Babu Kodali, and T Sundararaman assesses publicly funded health insurance (PFHI) schemes in India using nationally representative data from the 2022–23 Household Consumption Expenditure Survey...