Despite Australia’s Medicare, out-of-pocket costs (OOPC) still make up 14% of total health expenditure. This systematic review examined the experiences of Australians with chronic conditions facing OOPC for out-of-hospital care, revealing income loss due to ill...

INSLA applauds Ghana Cabinet for approving Mahama Care Fund Bill
The Institute of Leadership and Development (INSLA) has commended Ghana’s government for approving the National Medical Trust Fund Bill, which aims to provide sustainable financing for the treatment, management, and prevention of noncommunicable diseases while...

Thai UHC journey workshop in November 2025
The Thai UHC Journey Workshop 2025, themed ‘Sustainable UHC for Better Health: The SAFE Path—Sustainability, Adequacy, Fairness, and Efficiency,’ will take place in Bangkok from November 24–28, 2025. Applications are open until September 19.The Thai UHC Journey...

New WHO/Europe report identifies coverage policy options to improve financial protection in Malta
Nearly 7% of Maltese households face catastrophic health spending. To improve financial protection, Malta should expand means-tested schemes, reduce medicine prices, address waiting times, and broaden publicly funded dental services. A new WHO report, “Can people...

A Comparative Look at Healthcare Sector in Armenia and Azerbaijan
Armenia’s social health insurance model focuses on universal coverage and vulnerable groups but faces challenges in funding sustainability and healthcare quality, while Azerbaijan’s state-funded system benefits from oil revenues to modernize infrastructure but...

Alliance between ADRES-Colombia and FONASA-Chile on health financing issues
The Administradora de los Recursos del Sistema General de Seguridad Social (ADRES) and the Chilean Health Fund (Fonasa) have formalized a strategic alliance. This collaboration will strengthen financing and health systems in general. In Bogota, Colombia in June 2024,...

Nation’s Healing Promise: Tanzania’s Bold Push Towards Universal Health Insurance
Tanzania’s Universal Health Insurance Act, 2023, aims to provide mandatory health coverage for all citizens, addressing low insurance rates and high out-of-pocket costs. Success hinges on trust, political will, combating corruption, and inclusive financing to ensure...

Parliament approves historic GH¢10 billion for NHIA to revolutionise Ghana’s healthcare
Ghana’s Parliament has approved a record GH¢10 billion for the National Health Insurance Authority in 2025, significantly expanding funding for claims, operations, and chronic disease care, including dialysis under the NHIS. This major investment aims to improve...
Healthcare managers’ perspectives on direct health facility financing in Tanzania
Health financing reforms are crucial for improving efficiency, transparency, and service delivery in low- and middle-income countries, where health systems often operate under tight resource constraints. In Tanzania, the Direct Health Facility Financing (DHFF)...

A new vision for universal health coverage in an age of global displacement
A Lancet Public Health article calls for a cosmopolitan approach to UHC that ensures migrants and refugees have equitable access to health care through global solidarity and inclusive financing.As global migration and displacement reshape societies, a new Lancet...

China never had free healthcare before its market reforms
The perception of a universal "free" medical care system in China's planned economy era is largely a myth, as most urban healthcare costs were covered by state employers while rural populations had almost no insurance or access to medical resources. Government surveys...

Health insurance premiums in India now outpace national health budget
A surge in private insurance premiums has overtaken India’s public health budget, raising concerns over equity and access in the country’s shifting healthcare landscape.India’s healthcare financing is transforming, with individual health insurance premiums now...

Changes to Universal Health Care Law urged in Philippines
Senator Bong Go urged the swift approval of Senate Bill 2620 to amend the Universal Health Care Act. The bill includes provisions that reduce premium contributions for PhilHealth members, notably benefiting Filipino migrant workers by having the government cover half...
Tajikistan: health system review 2025
The health system in Tajikistan operates under a centralized governance structure, primarily managed by the Ministry of Health and Social Protection, with the public sector serving as the main provider of health services. Despite efforts to reform and improve...
Confronting the non-communicable disease burden in developing countries
Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are the world’s leading cause of death, and their burden is growing fastest in developing countries. By 2030, an estimated 52 million people will die from NCDs annually—three-quarters of them in low- and middle-income countries...