Congress approves Law on Free and Voluntary Access to Vaccinations
The Vaccination Law was approved by the Congress of the Republic of Guatemala through Decree 25-2024, guaranteeing access to immunization against different diseases.The objective of the Vaccination Law is to guarantee protection against immuno-preventable diseases...
Government announced funding for drugs against three types of cancer
Drugs for the treatment of head and neck, ovarian and cervical cancer will be included in the free coverage of the National Resources Fund.The incorporation of new drugs to the benefits of the National Resources Fund was announced. The authorities of the Ministry of...
Hungarian hospitals beat an alarm on rising debt
Hospitals in Hungary are sounding alarm as rising debts restrict operations. Past due debt of hospitals reached €300 million in March 2024, caused by the lack of financing reform, amortisation, and rising energy prices, while inflation rates, wage increases, and...
Health insurance in Bangladesh: Challenges, prospects and action plan
In 2022, healthcare spending in Bangladesh pushed 6.3 million people below the poverty line, with 61% of hospitalized patients experiencing financial trauma. To cope with medical expenses, many individuals resort to selling assets or taking high-interest loans. Health...
Georgian Government introduces co-payments into its UHC scheme
The Georgian government is introducing co-payments in the universal health coverage system to allow patient choice and flexibly. Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said patients who could not choose a preferred provider or certain comfort level during medical care would...
Moving Forward on National Health Insurance in Antigua and Barbuda
Plans for establishing national health insurance in Antigua and Barbuda were put on hold due to the COVID19 pandemic. The Minister of Health confirms that these plans will now go ahead.Establishing a National Health Insurance was a strategic intervention in the...
Czech government passes a law allowing health insurance companies invest in disease prevention
As reported by Expats.cz, the Czech government has approved an amendment to the Public Health Insurance Act that could be a game changer for Czech healthcare. The law will enable health insurance companies to allocate significantly more funds toward disease...
Validation of the study on the implementation of a CSU management organization
The Ministry of Public Health has initiated a study prior to setting up a management body for universal health coverage. From October 23 to 25, thanks to the technical support of the P4H focal person in Cameroon, a workshop brought together experts who validated the...
Slovakia lost in EU court for late payments to hospitals by its single payer
Slovakia lost to EU Court of Justice in September over continuous late payments by public hospitals to their vendors. An average payment delay was 397 days. Amid growing health financing struggles of the state-owned General Health Insurance Company and budget...
The Federal Mandatory Health Insurance Fund of Russia focuses on digital solutions for insured persons
The Digital Medical Profile (DMP) will enhance compulsory medical insurance and support the goal of increasing life expectancy to 78 years, said Ilya Balanin at the National Healthcare Congress. The Federal Register of Insured Persons enables digital insurance...
World Bank in Pakistan: Strengthening health financing reform capacity
The World Bank recently published an article titled "Cultivating Champions: Strengthening Health Financing Reform Capacity in Pakistan," focusing on efforts to address healthcare financing challenges in the country.With approximately 11 million Pakistanis at risk of...
R4D and SPARC unveil toolkit to enhance strategic health purchasing
R4D and SPARC have launched a toolkit to help countries evaluate and improve strategic health purchasing. The toolkit offers guidance for optimizing healthcare spending, with resources and real-world examples from over 20 countries in Africa and Asia. Results for...
R4D hosting new sustainable nutrition financing platform
R4D, with partners, launched the Finance Capacity Development Platform (FCDP) to boost sustainable nutrition financing in 66 SUN countries. FCDP offers tools, guidance, and expert networks to help national leaders prioritize and maximize nutrition funding.Results for...
National Health Insurance to expand benefit package for pregnancy and childbirth
National Health Insurance has unveiled a plan to expand its benefit package to support healthy pregnancies and childbirth, starting from November 2024. This includes coverage for continuous glucose monitors for diabetic patients during pregnancy, reduce out-of-pocket...
Will Swiss voters accept standardised financing of healthcare?
Swiss voters are set to decide on a significant revision of the healthcare financing model, aimed at standardizing costs between inpatient and outpatient care and improving the affordability and quality of healthcare services. Supported by various political parties...