Belgium’s summer agreement reforms healthcare by limiting excessive doctor surcharges, ensuring fair billing and equal reimbursements, curbing pharmaceutical overspending, and promoting sustainable care while preserving provider autonomy. This marks a historic step...
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...
As noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) place increasing strain on health systems in low- and middle-income countries, the need for sustainable financing solutions is more urgent than ever. With development assistance stagnating and domestic budgets stretched thin,...
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...
A report by the Korea Development Institute reveals that rising health insurance spending in Korea is primarily driven by increasing prices at clinics and outpatient services, leading to concerns about the system's sustainability. A recent report from the Korea...
The Office of Health Economics (OHE) published the research paper "Analysing Global Immunisation Expenditure" on April 15, 2025. This comprehensive study examines immunisation spending trends from 2016 to 2022 across ten countries: Australia, Brazil, Canada, France,...
Australia’s long-term care system operates within a tightly regulated, market-based framework that emphasises consumer choice and control. In this country report, published by the WHO Centre for Health Development, authors Sarah Wise, Michael Woods, and Kees van Gool...
As countries across the Eastern Mediterranean region (EMR) increasingly rely on private providers to deliver health services, governments face growing pressure to ensure these purchasing arrangements align with Universal Health Coverage (UHC) goals. This article,...
In response to growing interest among middle-income countries in the WHO European Region to engage private health-care providers (PHPs) within publicly funded health systems, the WHO Barcelona Office for Health Systems Financing has developed this primer to support...
Published in The International Journal of Health Planning and Management, the open-access short communication “Purchasing Primary Care Services for Quality Chronic Care: Capitation With Performance Payments in Four Countries” examines how provider payment reforms can...
This paper analyzes how cost-sharing impacts the use of outpatient and inpatient health services in China. The study reveals that increased cost-sharing for outpatient services leads to decreased outpatient usage while simultaneously increasing reliance on inpatient...
The Kyrgyz diagnosis related group (DRG) system has played a vital role in health system reforms in Kyrgyzstan, focusing on improving service delivery through careful data management and stakeholder engagement. The evolution of this domestically developed DRG system...
Published in Health Policy, this study by Ndayishimiye et al. analyses health care provider payment schemes across nine Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries. It examines changes since 2010, highlighting the widespread use of blended and output-based payment...
A study in Inquiry: The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision, and Financing by Costase Ndayishimiye, Marzena Tambor, Katarzyna Dubas-Jakóbczyk, and colleagues explores factors influencing health care provider payment reforms in nine Central and Eastern...
Published in Health Policy, the study by Thomas Rice, Karsten Vrangbæk, Ingrid S. Saunes, and colleagues examines the progressivity of public revenue collection for healthcare financing across 29 high-income countries. The authors assess three primary sources of...
