This study examined the impact of health insurance policies on household wealth distribution in four sub-Saharan African countries—Burundi, Gabon, Ghana, and Rwanda—that have achieved healthcare coverage above 20% in pursuit of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) goals....
Lived experience of out-of-pocket costs of health care and medicines by people with chronic conditions and their families in Australia: a systematic review of the qualitative literature
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, on June 2024,...
Out-of-pocket cost and financial catastrophe of patients with cancer: the alarming cost-of-illness in Bangladesh
This study assessed the annual out-of-pocket (OOP) costs of cancer care for patients in Bangladesh, their coping mechanisms, and the financial distress they experienced. Using data from three hospitals, researchers estimated an average annual OOP cost of US$ 6,504 per...

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, and inclusive financing to ensure equitable, accessible...

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...

Rare diseases in France: a subject taken very seriously
France's 7000 rare diseases affect more than 3 million people. France is a pioneer in Europe in implementing a national plan for rare diseases. They are reimbursed up to 100% by the French Assurance Maladie. [ba_gradient_heading title="What is a rare disease?"...
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)...

ATOM Coalition launches health financing case studies to improve cancer care in LLMICs
The ATOM Coalition's new case studies examine cancer care financing in Georgia, Kenya, the Philippines, and Zambia, offering policy insights to strengthen access in low- and middle-income countries. The Access to Oncology Medicines (ATOM) Coalition, led by the Union...

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...
