Togo Expands Universal Health Insurance to Self-Employed Workers
Togo expands Universal Health Insurance to self-employed and informal workers, enabling thousands previously excluded to access health coverage through flexible payments, covering care for up to six dependents, and boosting financial inclusion via a new digital...
Record Rise in Dutch Health and Social Care Spending Reaches €155 Billion in 2024
Dutch health and social care spending rose 8.9% in 2024 to 155 billion euros, increasing to 13.8% of GDP. Per capita costs reached 8,610 euros, up 654 euros from 2023, driven by higher charges, increased youth care demand, and faster growth of home assistance. In...
Budget 2026: Breaking the Cycle—Malaysia’s Path to Resilient and Inclusive Public Healthcare Reform
Malaysia’s public healthcare is plagued by understaffing, low morale, overcrowding, and stagnant reform. Budget 2026 plans to absorb contract doctors, boost spending, strengthen public-private partnerships, roll out tech-driven workforce mapping, and build inclusive...
Ireland’s Department of Health to Receive Record €27.4bn in 2026 Budget
Ireland’s 2026 Budget allocates a record €27.4bn to health, funding 3,300 new staff, extra hospital beds, home support, and digital reforms, while unions warn of ongoing staffing and capacity pressures. Ireland’s Department of Health is set to receive €27.4 billion in...
Making universal healthcare work in Philippines
In 2024, the Philippine government swept P60B in idle PhilHealth funds to the Treasury, triggering controversy and a Supreme Court halt on further transfers. The President pledged to restore the funds in 2026, but experts warn cash alone won’t fix service delivery or...
HIV-AIDS treatment guaranteed free of charge by MINSA in Peru
In September 2025, despite declining international support for health funding, the government of Peru is making efforts to guarantee free treatment for people living with HIV/AIDS.Peru's Ministry of Health (MINSA) announced at the beginning of September 2025, that it...
CSU Medical Assistance in Chad cares for the needy
In Chad, the pilot phase of the Medical Assistance Scheme (AMED) for the economically deprived in June 2025 has begun. The Caisse Nationale d'Assurance Santé (CNAS) has carried out a series of decisive activities in three pilot districts. At the end of June 2025, the...
NHS Continuing Healthcare: deepening inequality and the ‘Postcode Lottery’ in access to vital care across England
NHS Continuing Healthcare in England is marked by stark regional inequalities, with eligibility and funding varying dramatically by postcode. Despite rising demand and spending, fewer people are deemed eligible, and inconsistent processes mean many miss out on vital...
Malaysian think tank renews call for health and social insurance, removal of sugar subsidies
The Galen Centre urges a national health and social insurance scheme with employer-employee contributions, removal of sugar subsidies, and scrapping of outpatient/specialist charges at public facilities to better fund health, aged care, and combat diabetes. The Galen...
Japan’s Aging Crisis Pushes Health Insurance Premiums to Record Highs
Japan’s aging population is driving up medical costs, with elderly care subsidies hitting 3.86 trillion yen and premiums at a record 9.34%. Nearly half of health insurance funds go to seniors, straining company associations and the state, prompting reforms to make...
Philhealth explores data-driven overhaul of hospital payments for universal healthcare
Philippine health officials, with support from Thailand’s NHSO and the World Bank, are studying global budgets, DRG systems, and electronic claims to cut out-of-pocket costs and advance universal health care. Lessons from Thai hospitals aim to guide PhilHealth’s DRG...
All citizens in Vietnam to receive basic medical care free of charge by 2030
Vietnam’s Resolution 72 charts major healthcare reforms, shifting focus to prevention and primary care. By 2030, commune stations will be fully staffed, essential costs covered by insurance, and digital health expanded. Incentives, training, and ethics aim to build a...
Study Calls for Overhaul of Provider Payment Systems to Strengthen Tanzania’s Universal Health Insurance
A 2023–25 IHI–LSHTM study urges reform of Tanzania’s provider payment mechanisms as UHI rolls out. NHIF’s fee-for-service is reliable but paperwork-heavy, while capitation faces delays and low rates. Researchers call for fair, timely, and simple systems to boost...
More Investment Is Needed In New Zealand Health System
New Zealand’s tax-based health financing has remained stable but historically underfunded, with spending below OECD peers. OECD data is unreliable due to lack of updates and GST distortions. Adjusted 2023 figures show ~10.2–10.4% of GDP, close to averages; shifting to...
Health taxes, an option for tackling Cameroon’s health budget deficit
Cameroonians are wondering whether health taxes could be part of the answer to tackling the challenge of the health budget deficit. These taxes can have a dual action, generating financial resources and reducing costly non-transmissible diseases. In September 2025,...