Malaysia to develop basic health insurance, takaful products for more sustainable medical treatment access
Bank Negara Malaysia is collaborating with the Ministry of Health and the Employees Provident Fund to develop basic health insurance and takaful products focused on value-based healthcare, aiming to reform the national health sector and manage rising medical...
WHO-World Bank report highlights key challenges in health budget execution
A WHO-World Bank report highlights health budget execution challenges, revealing inefficiencies in spending. It calls for reforms to improve financial management and healthcare delivery for Universal Health Coverage. A new joint report by the World Health Organization...
Smart spending to combat global health threats
Global public goods for health, including prevention, preparedness, and response (PPR) measures, are vital for safeguarding populations against future health threats. Yet the scale of investment in these areas remains inadequate and uneven, especially across income...
Programme-based budgeting for primary care financing: insights for practitioners
In many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), traditional line-item budgeting has hindered effective primary care financing by reducing transparency, limiting flexibility, and fragmenting expenditures. Programme-based budgeting (PBB) offers a strategic...
Financing of the Colombian Health System during a period of reform
Colombia's healthcare system is still in the process of reform. The Ministry of Health indicates that the amounts granted to the capitation payment units in recent years have not been sufficient. It calls for clarification of payment modalities to EPSs for the coming...
A Chinese conundrum: does higher insurance coverage for hospitalization reduce financial protection for the patients who most need it?
This paper analyzes how cost-sharing impacts the use of outpatient and inpatient health services in China. The study reveals that increased cost-sharing for outpatient services leads to decreased outpatient usage while simultaneously increasing reliance on inpatient...
Kenya unveils health financing initiative to boost primary healthcare
The Kisumu Medical and Education Trust (KMET) has launched Tiba Mashinani, a health financing initiative providing loans to private primary healthcare facilities in the Lake Region Economic Bloc, aiming to improve access to quality medical care. The Kisumu Medical and...
Law 100 of 1993 created the comprehensive social security system in Colombia.
In 1993, the Congress of the Republic of Colombia passed Law 100, thus creating the country's comprehensive social security system. It comprises the obligations of the State and society, the institutions and the resources destined to guarantee the coverage of economic...
Czechia mulls merging health insurers amid persistent financial struggles
The Czech government is considering merging health insurance funds to enhance efficiency and address financial challenges within the public healthcare system, but stakeholders warn that this approach may not resolve deeper structural issues, such as ongoing deficits...
A delegation from Madagascar shares and learns at the 7th AfHEA conference
The African Association of Health Economics and Policy held its 7th biennial scientific conference from March 10 to 15, 2025 in Kigali, Rwanda. The Malagasy delegation made substantial contributions and benefited from field visits. The Madagascar team, under the...
The Healthcare Financing Progress Matrix
Several years after the implementation of national health financing strategies for universal health coverage, and in a changing institutional context, an assessment of health financing systems is essential. In response to this need, the World Health Organization has...
Why So Many Cambodians Travel Abroad For Medical Care
The author highlights the challenges and misdiagnoses faced in the Cambodian healthcare system that push many to seek medical treatment abroad. It underscores the rising trend of medical tourism due to inadequate domestic options, the financial burden of healthcare,...
Iran’s Escalating Drug Prices Push Cancer Patients to Desperation
The drastic increase in drug prices in Iran has left many cancer patients unable to afford essential treatments. Amidst growing public outcry, the Iranian regime prioritizes military and foreign interventions over addressing the healthcare crisis, exacerbating the...
Law n° 65-00 on basic medical coverage in Morocco
In 2002, the Moroccan government approved and passed the Moroccan Health Coverage Code. The social development policy advocated by His Majesty King Mohammed VI aims to improve health standards (one of the essential components of this policy) and contribute to the...
Gender bias in health financing methods: metrics and data
A new commentary published in BMJ Global Health by Kalipso Chalkidou and Richard Sullivan explores how commonly used economic methods and data in health financing may unintentionally reinforce gender bias. Drawing on findings from The Lancet Commission: Women, Power...