The article “Data Integration of Health Financing Systems as a Critical Enabler for Objective-Oriented Health System Reform: A Scoping Review from India”, published in the Journal of Health Systems and Reform, examines the challenges of fragmented health financing systems in India and their impact on achieving universal health coverage (UHC). Authors Grace Achungura, Arif Raza, Vijendra Katre, Jaidev Singh Anand, Nirmala Ravishankar, and Rathan Kelkar explore India’s publicly subsidised health insurance schemes (PSHIs), such as Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY), and the difficulties in implementing effective reforms.
The paper focuses on the role of information and communication technology (ICT) in overcoming these challenges, particularly through the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY). The authors highlight how integrating ICT systems has improved equity, transparency, and accountability in health financing. By using big data and machine learning for fraud detection and promoting service portability, India’s efforts toward ICT reforms have proven crucial in advancing UHC, despite ongoing reliability issues.