The Chilean government created the National Health Fund (Fonasa) by decree law in 1979 (among others). Fonasa is the public health insurance that provides coverage for health services to the population. It is an alternative to the Instituciones de Salud Previsional...
The webinar announced in the March Governance Newsletter took place on 11 April 2025. This event, which focused on the challenges of financing universal health coverage in Colombia and Peru, was the result of a collaboration between two of the P4H Network’s academic...
Bulgaria has significantly reduced hospitalisations by providing fully reimbursed medicines for cardiovascular diseases, according to new data from the National Health Insurance Fund.In April 2024, Bulgaria took significant steps to address the high burden of...
Decisions by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Development Assistance Committee (DAC) members to freeze or cut aid disrupt health services in low- and middle-income countries, risking a 40% drop in health aid by 2025 and worsening workforce...
Countries across Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) are facing rising healthcare costs as populations age and chronic diseases become more common. A new study published in The Lancet Regional Health – Americas by Yvonne N. Flores, Timothy Roberton, Marisol Torres...
Australia's healthcare system faces significant challenges, including financial barriers to accessing care, inadequate support for chronic conditions, and underfunded mental health and dental services. Urgent reforms are needed to ensure the system can effectively...
Rare diseases in Hainan Province pose a significant economic burden, with a rising prevalence and limited data available. A study from 2019 to 2023 found that 83.01% of the 4,975 diagnosed patients were insured, yet total economic costs escalated from 34.26 million...
Japan's universal health insurance system, established in 1961, ensures equitable access to healthcare for all citizens, particularly as the country grapples with an aging population and rising healthcare costs. Recent policy updates aim to enhance efficiency and...
ThinkWell Pakistan has recently published a series of insightful fact sheets exploring how public health facilities in Pakistan procure and finance essential medicines and health supplies (EMHS), along with the bottlenecks they face at each step of the process....
Free medical care in Honduran public facilities is confirmed by the Ministry of Health. It also points out that there is an ongoing process of revision of texts to facilitate their application and transparency. In December 2024, the Honduran Ministry of Health...
In 2012, Uruguay's Ministry of Health issued a decree updating the categories of free care administered by the National Health Fund (FONSA). Certain vulnerable groups and beneficiaries affiliated by quota to the state health services administration (ASSE) can receive...
WHO has launched a platform to provide free cancer medicines to children in low- and middle-income countries, aiming to improve survival rates. The initiative, supported by St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, plans to benefit around 5,000 children this year and...
The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) is urging private hospitals to support its No Balance Billing (NBB) policy, which provides equitable healthcare access for patients without out-of-pocket expenses. Hospital leaders emphasize their commitment to...
The Ministry of Health in Liberia has launched a workshop to assess the financial sustainability of the health system, focusing on the Liberia Health Equity Fund and the Liberia Social Health Insurance Scheme, with insights from various stakeholders on the need for...
In India, rising health insurance premiums and increased claim rejections are driving individuals to opt out of policies. Many feel overcharged and frustrated with inadequate coverage, exacerbated by taxes on premiums, leading to distrust in insurers and a search for...
