Vietnam: Health insurance premiums lowered while maintain full coverage benefits
Vietnam’s Decree 188 keeps health insurance contributions at 4.5% of the basic salary, with scaled discounts for additional family members. The scheme covers 80% of medical costs, offering access to 2,400 drugs and 9,000 services, including treatment for cancer, heart...
Estonia’s Health Insurance Fund running a deficit for at least 15 years
Estonia’s Health Insurance Fund faces a deficit, rising healthcare costs, and criticism after lavish spending exposed governance gaps. Experts and officials urge reforms to improve efficiency, avoid worsening inequalities, and ensure sustainable financing without...
Stakeholders in Uganda call for innovative health financing mechanisms amid funding shifts
Uganda’s health sector faces funding gaps after donor cuts, forcing higher out-of-pocket costs and disrupting HIV, TB, and maternal health services. Stakeholders urge domestic financing, innovative taxes, and a national insurance scheme to protect vulnerable groups...
Insurance medicine: costs outpace revenues in Moldova
Moldova’s health insurance revenues rose 11.6% in the first seven months of 2025, driven by salary-based contributions reaching 5.4 bn lei. Spending also increased, with higher transfers for services and surgeries. The 2025 budget is projected to grow 13%, exceeding...
South Africa’s G20 Presidency Prioritizes UHC, PHC, and Civil Society Engagement
South Africa’s G20 presidency prioritises Universal Health Coverage and civil society engagement, highlighting financing, primary health care, and multilateral collaboration amid global health funding challenges.The G20 presidency is placing Universal Health Coverage...
1,114 hospitals de-empanelled, 1,504 penalised under Ayushman Bharat Insurance scheme in India
The government has de-empanelled 1,114 hospitals, fined 1,504 ₹122 crore, and suspended 549 for fraud under Ayushman Bharat. A strong anti-fraud system, grievance redressal mechanism, and stricter claims settlement timelines aim to protect beneficiaries and improve...
Liberia’s Performance-Based Financing Program conducts Financial Management Training for Health Facilities and County Health Teams from Seven Counties
Liberia’s Health Ministry trained seven counties on financial management under the PBF Program to boost accountability and service delivery. Officials stressed sustainability as donor funding declines, with the World Bank-backed training seen as vital for...
Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan explore cooperation in mandatory health insurance
Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan health officials met in Baku to discuss the 2025–2028 Action Plan under their MoU. Uzbekistan seeks to learn from Azerbaijan’s success with mandatory health insurance, with sessions covering healthcare costs, IT, HR, financing, and...
African Summit Looks for Solutions to Health Funding Crisis
At the Africa Health Sovereignty Summit, leaders led by Ghana’s President Mahama and ex-Nigerian president Obasanjo called for African-funded health systems, rejecting aid dependency. WHO’s Tedros urged health taxes, efficiency, and sovereignty to counter massive aid...
The social insurance regulations for foreign workers in Vietnam
From 1 July 2025, foreign nationals in Vietnam on labour contracts of at least 12 months must join compulsory social insurance, unless exempt. They get the same benefits as locals. Contributions total 25% of salary: 8% by the worker and 17% by the employer, split...
Syria Seeks to Rebuild Shattered Healthcare System
Syria’s healthcare system is struggling to rebuild after 14 years of war with massive infrastructure damage, healthcare worker shortages, and political divisions. Violence, especially in Druze-majority Sweida, worsens humanitarian access and security, complicating...
NHI Implementation in South Africa: Key Risks and Challenges
South Africa’s NHI aims for universal healthcare but risks higher costs, reduced access, overburdened public hospitals, provider exits, rising lawsuits, and costly transitions. Without viable alternatives, it could destabilise both public and private healthcare...
Malaysia’s basic affordable health insurance scheme concept to be completed by December 2025, with rollout targeted for end-2026
Malaysia plans to launch a basic Medical and Health Insurance/Takaful (MHIT) product by end-2026, ensuring affordability and long-term sustainability. Buying will be voluntary, with EPF Account 2 savings likely allowed via the i-Lindung facility once the policy design...
German Chancellor Merz announces massive cuts to social welfare benefits
Germany expedites cuts to social welfare, pensions, and healthcare to cover military spending, deepening poverty for workers and pensioners while sparing the wealthy. Rising deficits fuel class tensions, prompting calls for socialist reorganization.Germany is moving...
Philippine healthcare: Families drowning in out-of-pocket expenses
Out-of-pocket health spending in the Philippines hit ₱615B in 2024, 42.7% of total healthcare costs, exposing families to debt as government schemes lag behind rising expenses. Experts urge reforms and new financing tools like sin taxes to ease the unsustainable...