scholarly journals Ten-year impacts of China’s rural health scheme: lessons for universal health coverage

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. e003714
Author(s):  
Yaoguang Zhang ◽  
Di Dong ◽  
Ling Xu ◽  
Zhiwen Miao ◽  
Wenhui Mao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Universal Health Coverage ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Rural Population ◽  
Financial Risk ◽  
Financial Burden ◽  
Medical Expenditure ◽  
Service Utilisation ◽  
Health Coverage ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Universal Health

China has made profound progress in advancing universal health coverage (UHC) over the past two decades. New Cooperative Medical Scheme (NCMS) was initiated in 2003 to provide health insurance coverage to rural population. Its benefit packages and cost-sharing mechanism have changed significantly over time. This study aims to assess the impact of changing NCMS policies on NCMS enrollees’ service utilisation, medical financial burden and equity between 2003 and 2013. Data are from China National Health Services Survey (NHSS) which is conducted every 5 years. We used the subsample of NHSS that were enrolled in NCMS in 2003, 2008 and 2013. From 2003 to 2013, we found increased service utilisation and an elimination of inequity in service utilisation with respect to income. Contradicting prior findings of increasing financial burden after the NCMS implementation, we identified significant protective effect of NCMS against financial risks, and a reduction in percentage of households with high medical expenditure in the middle-income and high-income quintiles. The rural residents from the low-income groups have high financial risk, therefore, should be the priority target for future reforms. In pursuit of UHC globally, many countries struggle to provide good coverage to the disadvantaged rural population and balance between the competing priorities of various UHC dimensions. Our trend analysis revealed China’s two-stage approach with NCMS reform that first focused on expanding population coverage, then on service coverage and financial risk protection. This path could potentially be replicated in other middle-income and low-income countries to pave the way for UHC.

scholarly journals Narrowing the Gap of Inequity in the Indonesia’s National Social Health Insurance Scheme, 2014-2018

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hasbullah Thabrany ◽  
Ryan R. Nugraha ◽  
Ery Setiawan ◽  
Farah Purwaningrum
Keyword(s):  
Health Insurance ◽  
National Health Insurance ◽  
Universal Health Coverage ◽  
Low Income ◽  
National Health Insurance Scheme ◽  
Income Group ◽  
Health Insurance Scheme ◽  
Health Coverage ◽  
Insurance Scheme ◽  
Universal Health

Abstract Background. Indonesia is nearing its 7-year implementation of its national health insurance scheme, or the Jaminan Kesehatan Nasional (JKN), as a facilitator for achieving universal health coverage (UHC). Despite its long-running system, it is contentious as to whether JKN has been narrowing the gap of inequity in its delivery. This paper aims to explore on whether the national health insurance scheme in Indonesia have been promoting equity of access towards health services.Methods. This study analyzes findings from JKN statistic data of 2014-2018 published by Government of Indonesia. Using a retrospective design, this study identified membership and utilization of health services within JKN, based on different membership enrollment groups as proxy for income.Results. JKN has been expanding its enrollment significantly within 5 years, during year 2014 to 2018. Moreover, the study concludes that there was increased access for outpatient in all membership groups. Inpatient care was increased in low-income group, but not in high-income group. Result also showed inpatient access was correlated with adequate supply side intervention, particularly hospital beds.Conclusion. JKN has been successful in narrowing the inequity gap, particularly by serving the low-income group better in terms of access. Going forward, equity needs to be incorporated into JKN achievement indicator, particularly to accelerate Indonesia’s effort to realize universal health coverage.

scholarly journals Towards universal health coverage: governance and organisational change in ministries of health

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (5) ◽  
pp. e001735 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Berman ◽  
Azrina Azhar ◽  
Elizabeth J Osborn
Keyword(s):  
Health System ◽  
Universal Health Coverage ◽  
Organisational Change ◽  
Health Financing ◽  
Comparative Case Study ◽  
Health Coverage ◽  
Political Commitment ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
High Level ◽  
Universal Health

Countries have implemented a range of reforms in health financing and provision to advance towards universal health coverage (UHC). These reforms often change the role of a ministry of health (MOH) in traditionally unitary national health service systems. An exploratory comparative case study of four upper middle-income and high-income countries provides insights into how these reforms in pursuit of UHC are likely to affect health governance and the organisational functioning of an MOH accustomed to controlling the financing and delivery of healthcare. These reforms often do not result in simple transfers of responsibility from MOH to other actors in the health system. The resulting configuration of responsibilities and organisational changes within a health system is specific to the capacities within the health system and the sociopolitical context. Formal prescriptions that accompany reform proposals often do not fully represent what actually takes place. An MOH may retain considerable influence in financing and delivery even when reforms appear to formally shift those powers to other organisational units. MOHs have limited ability to independently achieve fundamental system restructuring in health systems that are strongly subject to public sector rules and policies. Our comparative study shows that within these constraints, MOHs can drive organisational change through four mechanisms: establishing a high-level interministerial team to provide political commitment and reduce institutional barriers; establishing an MOH ‘change team’ to lead implementation of organisational change; securing key components of systemic change through legislation; and leveraging emerging political change windows of opportunity for the introduction of health reforms.

scholarly journals Financial risk protection of Thailand’s universal health coverage: results from series of national household surveys between 1996 and 2015

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Viroj Tangcharoensathien ◽  
Kanjana Tisayaticom ◽  
Rapeepong Suphanchaimat ◽  
Vuthiphan Vongmongkol ◽  
Shaheda Viriyathorn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Universal Health Coverage ◽  
Financial Risk ◽  
Health Spending ◽  
Poverty Line ◽  
Health Coverage ◽  
Financial Risk Protection ◽  
Catastrophic Health Spending ◽  
Risk Protection ◽  
Universal Health ◽  
Benefits Package

Abstract Background Thailand, an upper-middle income country, has demonstrated exemplary outcomes of Universal Health Coverage (UHC). The country achieved full population coverage and a high level of financial risk protection since 2002, through implementing three public health insurance schemes. UHC has two explicit goals of improved access to health services and financial protection where use of these services does not create financial hardship. Prior studies in Thailand do not provide evidence of long-term UHC financial risk protection. This study assessed financial risk protection as measured by the incidence of catastrophic health spending and impoverishment in Thai households prior to and after UHC in 2002. Methods We used data from a 15-year series of annual national household socioeconomic surveys (SES) between 1996 and 2015, which were conducted by the National Statistic Office (NSO). The survey covered about 52,000 nationally representative households in each round. Descriptive statistics were used to assess the incidence of catastrophic payment as measured by the share of out-of-pocket payment (OOP) for health by households exceeding 10 and 25% of household total consumption expenditure, and the incidence of impoverishment as determined by the additional number of non-poor households falling below the national and international poverty lines after making health payments. Results Using the 10% threshold, the incidence of catastrophic spending dropped from 6.0% in 1996 to 2% in 2015. This incidence reduced more significantly when the 25% threshold was applied from 1.8 to 0.4% during the same period. The incidence of impoverishment against the national poverty line reduced considerably from 2.2% in 1996 to approximately 0.3% in 2015. When the international poverty line of US$ 3.1 per capita per day was applied, the incidence of impoverishment was 1.4 and 0.4% in 1996 and 2015 respectively; and when US$ 1.9 per day was applied, the incidence was negligibly low. Conclusion The significant decline in the incidence of catastrophic health spending and impoverishment was attributed to the deliberate design of Thailand’s UHC, which provides a comprehensive benefits package and zero co-payment at point of services. The well-founded healthcare delivery system and favourable benefits package concertedly support the achievement of UHC goals of access and financial risk protection.

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