An assessment on Universal Health Coverage in Fiji is now available
Health services at public facilities in Fiji were and still are largely free and readily available for the population with limited user fees charged for certain specialized medical procedures. It even offers waivers for said fees to poorer patients. This assessment...
Uganda Parliament asked to reconsider National Health Insurance Bill
In March 2021, Parliament passed the National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill mandating all Ugandans aged 18- years and above to contribute to access health services. However, president, Yoweri Museveni is yet to give an approval of the Bill. The speaker of parliament...
The costs of South Africa’s National Health Insurance are yet to be calculated, says Finance Minister
Finance minister Enoch Godongwana says the government has not updated the cost model of the proposed National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) since the 2019/2020 financial year. Responding in a written parliamentary question and answer session, Godongwana said this...
Government proposes payroll tax and other surcharges to fund South Africa’s National Health Insurance Scheme
The National Department of Health in March presented its proposal to mobilise additional resources to fund the new National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) which include the introduction of new taxes. In a presentation to Parliament on Tuesday 29 March, the Department...
New document on National Health Accounts for Fiji is now available
The National Health Accounts report for Fiji provides health expenditures information for the period of 2011-2015 and tracks health expenditures from financing sources to health services and beneficiaries. An average of 9% of total government expenditure funded the...
Inclusive social protection in Mali: launch of the WSM-DGD 2022 2026 program
On June 17, 2022, the international Network for Social Protection Rights (Insp!r-Mali), in partnership with Belgian organizations, officially launched the WSM/DGD program for the period 2022-2026 in the area of the right to social protection. The INSPIR-Mali network,...
Saudi Arabia: Saudi National Health Insurance Center offers free insurance coverage to all citizens
Saudi Arabia's National Health Insurance Center will provide free insurance for those covered by government health services in the Kingdom, said Mohammed Al-Abdulaali, spokesperson for the Ministry of Health. Al-Abdulaali said that the health transformation and the...
WEBINAR – Extending financial protection to underserved and socially excluded populations
Health inequalities are systematic differences in the health status of population groups; social factors such as education, employment status, income level, gender and ethnic origin influence an individual's health[1]. It is important to address health inequalities,...
Mali-RAMED: 3 million people to be registered by 2022
After Bamako and Sikasso, the Minister of Health and Social Development Mrs Dieminatou SANGARÉ proceeded, in the town of Kayes, this Friday June 17, 2022 to the the launch ceremony for the enrolment of three (3) million indigents. This policy of helping the needy part...
Qatar Healthcare Services Law No. 22 of 2021 effective as of 4 May 2022
In Qatar, the Healthcare Services Law No. 22 of 2021 (the Insurance Law) has become effective as of 4 May 2022. The Insurance Law is of material significance to companies established in the State of Qatar seeing that it introduces a mandatory health...
Government says new taxes are needed to fund South Africa’s coming National Health Insurance
The National Health Insurance (NHI) Deputy Director General Nicholas Crisp presented the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) Bill to the Parliament the first week of June, 2022. In his speech he indicated that the government will ultimately need to collect...
Singapore’s COVID-19 treatment subsidies to be scaled back in July
Due to a progressively return to normal, from July 1, Singapore will scale back the government subsidies for COVID-19 treatment and return to previous health financing schemes: Government Subsidies, MediSave, MediShield Life and MediFund (S+3Ms). The subsidized...
Bangladesh’s health budget will be increased 13% for fiscal year 2022-23
To ensure healthcare access during the pandemic and strengthen the vaccination system, Tk 36,863 crore (USD 3,966 million) will be funded to the health sector for fiscal year 2022-23. The allocation of the health budget will be increased approximately 13 percent from...
It takes two to tango: enabling public facilities to participate in purchasing arrangements in Kenya
Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) across the world are embracing purchasing reforms that, at their core, involve payers reimbursing providers based on outputs. Some have adopted free care policies wherein facilities are compensated for user fees forgone. Others...
Review meeting of the working group on health financing in Niger
The month of June marks the end of the first half-year and the he meeting of Niger's health financing working group was intended as a stock-taking meeting on current issues, with a view to updating the work plan for the 2nd half of the year, taking into account...