China has introduced a new case-based payment system called the “Diagnostic Intervention Package" or DIP. DIP is a Chinese original payment method aimed at influencing a positive behavior of healthcare providers. This study investigates the effects of the DIP.This...
Economic impact of government health expenditure in Iran
This study examines the economic impact of increasing the health sector's share of the government budget without changing taxes or overall government spending. The findings suggest that reallocating more funds to health at the expense of other sectors leads to reduced...
Analysing Tanzania’s health financing reforms: Insights from iCHF implementation
Assessing Tanzania's health financing reform, a new study highlights gaps in decision-making for the improved Community Health Fund (iCHF), emphasizing the need for procedural fairness and stakeholder inclusion for effective implementation.Tanzania's strides in health...
Feasibility of social health insurance in Zambia
Amid uncertainties in development assistance for health programs in Sub-Saharan Africa, social health insurance gains attention as a potential financing mechanism. A study in Zambia investigates its viability. While public support is high, with 80% willing to join,...
Towards universal health coverage in Vietnam: a mixed-method case study of enrolling people with tuberculosis into social health insurance
Social health insurance (SHI) serves as a primary financing mechanism for social health protection in Vietnam. In 2022, the country shifted from reliance on donor funding for tuberculosis to domestic financing via SHI. Following this shift, TB services were integrated...
Out-of-pocket expenditure, need, utilisation, and private health insurance in the Australian healthcare system
This study investigates if the burden of out-of-pocket expenditure differs between individuals with and without private health insurance (PHI) and whether chronic conditions or hospitalisation increase this difference in Australia.Findings indicate that PHI is...
Economic update: Resilience in uncertain times in Niger
After a slowdown in growth linked to COVID-19 in 2020, Niger's economic recovery was hit by a series of climatic and security shocks in 2021 that deteriorated many economic and social indicators.Unlike most countries in the region, Niger showed a certain resilience in...
Mapping the literature on development assistance in health
The document published by the Observer Research Foundation presents a comprehensive analysis of the literature on development assistance in health between 2000 and 2022. The study reveals critical findings, including disparities in research output and significant...
Incidence of catastrophic health spending in Indonesia: insights from a Household Panel Study 2018–2019
Indonesia has introduced a national health insurance scheme called Jaminan Kesehatan Nasional (JKN) in 2014. This study aims to assess the incidence of catastrophic health spending (CHS) and its determinants and trends between 2018 and 2019, a period during which JKN...
Unintended consequences of healthcare reform in South Korea: evidence from a regression discontinuity in time design
This study aims to evaluate the effects of transitioning from an outpatient copayment system to a coinsurance system in 2007 on outpatient healthcare utilization and expenditures in South Korea. Results indicate a significant rise in outpatient healthcare utilization...
Has South Korea achieved the goals of national health insurance? Trends in financial protection of households between 2011 and 2018
This study examines the progression of households’ financial protection against out-of-pocket expenses in the Korea's health system, alongside policies aimed at expanding disease-targeted benefits under the national health insurance. Findings reveal that the incidence...
Examining multiple funding flows to public healthcare providers in Burkina Faso, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Tunisia and Vietnam
This study examines multiple funding flows and describes the potential effect of multiple payment streams on healthcare provider behaviour in low- and middle-income countries.Findings from case studies conducted in Burkina Faso, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Tunisia, and...
Sustaining essential health services in Lao PDR in the context of donor transition and COVID-19
This study examines Lao PDR government's preparedness for the diminishing external assistance and evaluates the transition approaches adopted by donors. The government employs three primary strategies towards donor transition: mobilizing domestic resources, enhancing...
Factors for consideration when setting prices for private healthcare providers operating in public systems: a comparison of France and Japan
This study compares the purchasing arrangements with private providers under social health insurance systems in France and Japan.France and Japan use different approaches to determine the payment arrangements with public and private providers. In addition to payment...
Financial barriers to primary health care in Aotearoa New Zealand
Co-payment is required for visits to general practitioners and for collecting prescriptions. This study aims to investigate the impact of user co-payments on access to health care, with a focus on inequities for indigenous Māori populations in New Zealand. Findings...