Nepal's shift to federalism and the National Health Insurance Program (NHIP) aimed for universal health coverage, but persistent structural flaws undermine strategic purchasing and system efficiency. The Ministry of Health and Population’s conflicting roles as...

Nepal’s health insurance program: challenges and early impacts
Nepal’s National Health Insurance Program (NHIP), launched in 2016 to improve healthcare access and reduce costs, has faced low enrollment and high dropout rates due to concerns about service quality, lack of awareness, administrative delays, and affordability issues....

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...
Coverage and predictors of enrollment in the state-supported health insurance schemes in Nigeria: a quantitative multi-site study
This study evaluated the reach and factors influencing enrollment in state-supported health insurance schemes (SSHIS) across six Nigerian states, each representing a different geopolitical zone. Findings showed significant variation in coverage—highest in Kwara State...

Health insurance programme to be restructured amid effectiveness concerns
The Nepalese government plans to restructure the national health insurance program to improve its effectiveness and sustainability, emphasizing stricter enforcement of the Health Insurance Act and raising the benefit cap for insured individuals. With Rs 10 billion...

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...
The ethics of behaviour-based insurance models: Solidarity-based concerns in Germany’s statutory health insurance
Sickness funds are starting to use digital behavioral data to encourage physical activity among their members, but the ethical and societal implications, especially in solidarity-based insurance systems, are not well understood. While these programs may foster new...
Effect of community-based health insurance on the use of health service and perceived quality of care in Bacho Woreda, central Ethiopia: A mixed method study
Ethiopia's Community Based Health Insurance (CBHI) scheme significantly enhances outpatient care utilization, as evidenced by a study in Bacho Woreda. The research found that CBHI members were more likely to seek healthcare services, with 60% expressing satisfaction...
Attitudes towards the dual health insurance system and inequalities in health care in Germany – results of a population survey
A survey of 2,201 adults in Germany found that while about 77% believe all insured individuals have equal access to necessary medical care, only around 20% think the quality of care is the same between statutory and private insurance holders. Nearly 80% support...

Chad’s Medical Assistance Scheme: a milestone towards universal health coverage
Chad’s Medical Assistance Scheme aims to reach 45,000 people in three districts, in three months. It underscores Chad’s commitment to equitable access to health care and universal health coverage, especially for disadvantaged populations. The P4H Network had a part in...

Brazil to increase specialized care by strengthening public-private relations
Brazil’s Ministry of Health announces initiatives to strengthen provision of specialized care by strengthening public-private relations in the health sector.The Brazilian Ministry of Health announced in May 2025, a series of initiatives to promote the availability of...
Estimating Health Expenditure in the Dominican Republic 2007-2021 Using the SHA Approach 2011
Based on data available from the Dominican Republic's health accounts, Magdalena Rathe of Fundación Plenitud analyzes the country's health spending between 2007 and 2021. Using the 2007 and 2018 national income and expenditure surveys, a triangulation was made with...
Economic burden and determinants among hospitalized patients with epilepsy in Thailand
This study analyzes the direct medical costs of hospitalized epilepsy patients in Thailand. These costs are assessed from both a societal perspective—which includes hospital expenditures and payments made by health insurance schemes—and a patient perspective, which...

The Unified Health System has 8 million affiliates
The public health insurance system in Bolivia, known as the Unified Health System (SUS), has reached 8 million members. Coverage is provided at all health levels, from primary to hospital care. In Bolivia there is the Unified Health System (SUS), the state program...

Nigeria’s FEC approves health financing policy through Medipool
The Federal Executive Council of Nigeria approved the establishment of Medipool, a purchasing organization designed to lower healthcare costs by negotiating competitive prices for essential medicines and healthcare products, thereby improving access to quality...