Public budgets continue to make up the vast majority of government funding for health, making them a cornerstone of financing for universal health coverage (UHC). Even for countries that have contribution-based insurance systems, government budgetary support...
COVID-19: African Union (AU) seals deal with Moderna for 110 million vaccines
In October, 2021 Moderna announced a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to make up to 110 million doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine available to the AU. The company in a statement said it was preparing to deliver the first 15 million doses in the fourth quarter...
National Health Accounts Estimates for India 2017-18
This report provides healthcare expenditures in India based on National Health Accounts Guidelines for India, 2016 (with refinements where required) that adhere to System of Health Accounts 2011 (SHA 2011), a global standard framework for producing health accounts....
‘More health for the money’: An interesting take on value-based healthcare
Nachiket Mor, the visiting scientist at The Banyan Academy of Leadership in Mental Health, highlights the need to ensure maximum value for the Rupee spent by the consumer. He argues that the Indian government spends 1.25% of GDP on Health, which however insufficient,...
Documents on health financing mechanisms and social health protection now available
Here’s presenting research studies on strategic purchasing, financial risk protection, universal health coverage, and the feasibility of health insurance through user contribution, in Afghanistan. The studies are in the context of the challenges that the ongoing...
The state of Lagos, Nigeria, approves 14.4 USD as COVID-19 vaccine cost at the private health facilities.
In October, 2021 the Lagos state government approved the sum of N6000 (14.4 USD) for the administration of vaccines against coronavirus infection at private health facilities in the state. Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu said that the money would allow the private...
Improving health service delivery in conflict-affected settings: Lessons from a nationwide strategic purchasing mechanism in Afghanistan
Due to ongoing insecurity, the government of Afghanistan delivers health care to the country’s population by contracting out service delivery to non-governmental organization service providers (SPs). In 2018, major changes to SP contracts were introduced, resulting in...
Strategic purchasing for universal health coverage (UHC): examining the purchaser–provider relationship within a social health insurance scheme in Nigeria
Recognising how important purchasing is in social health insurance, this study critically assesses purchasing arrangements between Nigeria’s national health insurance scheme, health maintenance organisations and healthcare providers. It determines how the arrangements...
PhilHealth speeds up reimbursement to hospitals
To ensure social health protection of the members, Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) has implemented a new payment mechanism or the so-called “Debit-Credit Payment Method”, aiming to enable fast track reimbursement to qualified hospitals that...
Unvaccinated people must pay for COVID treatment in Singapore
In Singapore, the government has stopped free COVID-19 treatment for unvaccinated people, while continuing free care and treatment for the vaccinated. It is expected to increase vaccine coverage as well as reduce public finance concerns on rising medical expenditures....
How can Saudi Arabia reform its public hospital payment models? A narrative review
The cost of healthcare in Saudi Arabia continues to rise at an alarming rate, challenging the sustainability of the public healthcare system. This paper reviews various identified payment models that can be used to contain costs and improve the quality of the care...
The Global Survey on HTA and Health Benefit Packages: Interactive Database and Findings
Developing systematic decision-making processes for health that are fair and transparent is an important step towards achieving universal health coverage (UHC). However, having such decision-making processes alone is not enough. These processes should have clear...
COVID-19 response in Lebanon: current experience and challenges in a low-resource setting
This journal article gives insight into Lebanon’s healthcare response to the COVID 19 pandemic with limited financial resources and an increasingly private and urban health sector. It suggests that 80% of the health care budget in Lebanon is spent on acute care in...
Purchasing health services under Egypt’s new universal health insurance law: What are the implications for universal health coverage?
This paper provides an assessment of the purchasing arrangements in Egypt as stipulated by the universal health insurance law and bylaw, their implications and contribution to progress towards universal health coverage (UHC). There needs to be more legal clarity in...
Implementing the universal health insurance law of Egypt: what are the key issues on strategic purchasing and its governance arrangements?
This document aims to inform the universal health insurance law implementation process in Egypt by anticipating the strengths and possible challenges as well as developing options to support a shift towards more strategic purchasing. It suggests that it would be...