Globally, China’s rate of catastrophic health spending is among the highest, far exceeding the 13.2% average recorded in 2017. By comparison, Russia and Malaysia, two countries with similar per-capita GDP, reported rates of 7.7% and 1.5%, respectively.Across China,...
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health and Population Khaled Abdel Ghaffar met with Armenian Ambassador Armen Sarkissian to enhance collaboration in the health sector, focusing on pharmaceuticals, training, and health insurance. Deputy Prime Minister and...
Nigeria faces severe public healthcare challenges, with over 90% of the population relying on out-of-pocket payments, leading to substantial financial hardship and high rates of preventable illnesses and deaths. Despite the establishment of the National Health...
Previously under the Ministry of Finance a new line item - Social Assistance Benefits - is added to the 2024-2025 health budget in the Bahamas. This strengthens the momentum toward the National Health Insurance and moves closer to the implementation of catastrophic...
The Indian government is developing a social security scheme for gig workers, which will require them to contribute 1% to 2% of their daily earnings and provide benefits like provident funds and pensions. This initiative aims to support the growing gig workforce by...
The State Health Insurance Fund of Uzbekistan (SHIF) and the Estonian Health Insurance Fund (EHIF) held an online meeting to discuss Estonia’s successful health insurance system and explore opportunities for collaboration. On 28 February, the State Health Insurance...
On June 29, 2024, the Vietnamese National Assembly passed the Law on Social Insurance, significantly amending the previous law to expand participation, enhance worker benefits, and address implementation challenges. The amended Health Insurance Law aims to improve...
In 2023, French health insurance reimbursed €25.5 billion worth of drugs, or 12% of total expenditure. The increase was driven by innovative treatments and hospital prescriptions. Generics and biosimilars are key to controlling costs. In a press kit published on...
Argentina has health care professionals of recognized high quality, operating within a complex health care system. How can we ensure that the designated resources and member contributions are used efficiently and equitably? In the region, Argentina is recognized for...
The health sector in Paraguay is a priority in the 2025 national budget. Almost one third of the allocation for health is earmarked for medicines. This contributes to the protection against catastrophic expenditures, as medicines can be one of the causes. The nation's...
The primary social health insurance schemes in China, UEMIS and URRMS, mainly cover non-inpatient expenditures, neglecting costs associated with outpatient care and medications. A study found that over 60% of participants used non-inpatient services recently, with...
On January 14, 2025, the Peruvian Government made official the publication of Supreme Decree Nº 001-2025-TR, eliminating the waiting period for pregnant women. Thus, it establishes that pregnant women affiliated to the EsSalud social security system have immediate...
For the year 2025, which has just begun, there are several challenges for the health system in the Dominican Republic, in order to achieve effective health coverage of the population affiliated to the Family Health Insurance. Among others, it will be necessary to...
Japan controls health care costs with a fee schedule setting prices and billing conditions. The fee schedule is revised biennially to align with policy goals. Annual price cuts for pharmaceuticals and devices create fiscal space for priority areas. This approach could...
Governments in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) are increasingly considering national health insurance schemes (NHIS) to achieve universal health coverage (UHC). This article examines the political economy surrounding the establishment of Zambia's NHIS in 2018,...
