scholarly journals Measuring financial risk protection in health benefits packages: scoping review protocol to inform allocative efficiency studies

BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. e026554 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerard Joseph Abou Jaoude ◽  
Jolene Skordis-Worrall ◽  
Hassan Haghparast-Bidgoli
Keyword(s):  
Scoping Review ◽  
Financial Risk ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Allocative Efficiency ◽  
Health Benefits ◽  
Financial Risk Protection ◽  
Key Characteristics ◽  
Risk Protection ◽  
Benefits Package ◽  
Selection Of

IntroductionTo progress towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC), countries will need to define a health benefits package of services free at the point of use. Financial risk protection is a core component of UHC and should therefore be considered a key dimension of health benefits packages. Allocative efficiency modelling tools can support national analytical capacity to inform an evidence-based selection of services, but none are currently able to estimate financial risk protection. A review of existing methods used to measure financial risk protection can facilitate their inclusion in modelling tools so that the latter can become more relevant to national decision making in light of UHC.Methods and analysisThis protocol proposes to conduct a scoping review of existing methods used to measure financial risk protection and assess their potential to inform the selection of services in a health benefits package. The proposed review will follow the methodological framework developed by Arksey and O’Malley and the subsequent recommendations made by Levacet al. Several databases will be systematically searched including: (1) PubMed; (2) Scopus; (3) Web of Science and (4) Google Scholar. Grey literature will also be scanned, and the bibliography of all selected studies will be hand searched. Following the selection of studies according to defined inclusion and exclusion criteria, key characteristics will be collected from the studies using a data extraction tool. Key characteristics will include the type of method used, geographical region of focus and application to specific services or packages. The extracted data will then be charted, collated, reported and summarised using descriptive statistics, a thematic analysis and graphical presentations.Ethics and disseminationThe scoping review proposed in this protocol does not require ethical approval. The final results will be disseminated via publication in a peer-reviewed journal, conference presentations and shared with key stakeholders.

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.

scholarly journals Newborn health benefits or financial risk protection? An ethical analysis of a real-life dilemma in a setting without universal health coverage

2018 ◽  
Vol 44 (8) ◽  
pp. 524-530 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristine Husøy Onarheim ◽  
Ole Frithjof Norheim ◽  
Ingrid Miljeteig
Keyword(s):  
Universal Health Coverage ◽  
Financial Risk ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Health Benefits ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Ethical Analysis ◽  
Health Coverage ◽  
Financial Risk Protection ◽  
Risk Protection ◽  
Universal Health

IntroductionHigh healthcare costs make illness precarious for both patients and their families’ economic situation. Despite the recent focus on the interconnection between health and financial risk at the systemic level, the ethical conflict between concerns for potential health benefits and financial risk protection at the household level in a low-income setting is less understood.MethodsUsing a seven-step ethical analysis, we examine a real-life dilemma faced by families and health workers at the micro level in Ethiopia and analyse the acceptability of limiting treatment for an ill newborn to protect against financial risk. We assess available evidence and ethical issues at stake and discuss the dilemma with respect to three priority setting criteria: health maximisation, priority to the worse-off and financial risk protection.ResultsGiving priority to health maximisation and extra priority to the worse-off suggests, in this particular case, that limiting treatment is not acceptable even if the total well-being gain from reduced financial risk is taken into account. Our conclusion depends on the facts of the case and the relative weight assigned to these criteria. However, there are problematic aspects with the premise of this dilemma. The most affected parties—the newborn, family members and health worker—cannot make free choices about whether to limit treatment or not, and we thereby accept deprivations of people’s substantive freedoms.ConclusionIn settings where healthcare is financed largely out-of-pocket, families and health workers face tragic trade-offs. As countries move towards universal health coverage, financial risk protection for high-priority services is necessary to promote fairness, improve health and reduce poverty.

Extended Cost-Effectiveness Analysis

2019 ◽  
pp. 87-102
Author(s):  
Stéphane Verguet ◽  
Mieraf Taddesse Tolla ◽  
Solomon Tessema Memirie ◽  
Dean T. Jamison
Keyword(s):  
Cost Effectiveness ◽  
Financial Risk ◽  
Health Benefits ◽  
Cost Effectiveness Analysis ◽  
Health Policies ◽  
Health Coverage ◽  
Financial Risk Protection ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Effectiveness Analysis ◽  
Risk Protection

Health policies such as public finance of health interventions (e.g., vaccines, drug treatments) entail consequences in multiple domains. Fundamentally, health policies increase the uptake of interventions and hence lead to health benefits. However, in addition, health policies can generate distributional benefits, including, for example, the enhancement of equity (e.g., equalization of health among individuals), and non-health benefits, including, for instance, the prevention of medical impoverishment—or the provision of financial risk protection. This chapter details how the methodology of extended cost-effectiveness analysis (ECEA) can be used to evaluate the benefits of public policy in both the health and non-health (e.g., financial protection) domains and their distributional implications, which is of particular usefulness in the context of identifying efficient pathways for universal health coverage and tracking progress towards achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Public Insurance and Financial Risk Protection: Lessons from Thailand

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Phusit Prakongsai ◽  
Vuthiphan Vongmomgkol ◽  
Warisa Panich-Kriangkrai ◽  
Walaiporn Patcharanarumol ◽  
Viroj Tangcharoensathien
Keyword(s):  
Financial Risk ◽  
Financial Risk Protection ◽  
Public Insurance ◽  
Risk Protection

Making Thailand’s UHC ‘SAFE’ (sustainable, affordable, fair and efficient)

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 231-236
Author(s):  
Somsak Chunharas
Keyword(s):  
Health Services ◽  
Financial Risk ◽  
National Development ◽  
Financial Risk Protection ◽  
Thai Population ◽  
Health Security ◽  
Strategic Purchasing ◽  
Strategic Approach ◽  
Public Sector Health ◽  
Risk Protection

Thai UHC has been established through national efforts to learn from international as well as national development of how to build a system-wide financial risk protection for the Thai population while also ensuring effective coverage of health services. One of the key strategic approach is establishing a strategic purchasing organization called national health security office (NHSO) since 2002. Many lesson have been learnt and shared here hoping that they are generic enough to guide actions and policy decisions either for countries starting UHC or those who have had some models going on. For example, a professionally run strategic purchasing body with certain degree of autonomy is key but the needs to harmonize multiple schemes are also challenging, technically as well as politically. The effective use of and support for existing public sector health services systems is another key lesson. The challenge of making the systems sustainable, affordable fair and efficient have been with us since the very beginning and we shares some of the approaches to address this issue to ensure that UHC will be properly supported politically, professionally managed while maintaining a well balanced demand side with the view to ensure that UHC is creating better health and not merely more access to services.

scholarly journals Spatiotemporal variation and socioeconomic factors of financial hardships of out-of-pocket health expenditure in Pakistan

2021 ◽  
Vol 27 (10) ◽  
pp. 962-973
Author(s):  
Ashar Muhammad Malik ◽  
Iqbal Azam ◽  
Amir Khan ◽  
Faisal Rifaq ◽  
Kinza Chaudhary
Keyword(s):  
Socioeconomic Factors ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Health Expenditure ◽  
Financial Risk ◽  
National Level ◽  
Spatiotemporal Variation ◽  
Financial Risk Protection ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Services Delivery ◽  
Risk Protection

Background: Financial hardships of out-of-pocket health expenditure (OPHE) is a growing concern for health policy makers in many low and middle-income countries. Spatiotemporal variation between Pakistan’s four provinces over 2001-2015 is discussed, which would help comparing existing health services delivery and financial risk protection plans. Aims: In this paper, we estimate financial hardship of OPHE in Pakistan. Methods: We use the data sets of the household integrated economic surveys 2001-02, 2005-06, 2010-11 and 2015-16. We estimate OPHE share in household total and non-subsistence expenditure, catastrophic headcount at the threshold of OPHE ≥ 10% of total expenditure or OPHE ≥ 25% of non-subsistence expenditure. We estimate impoverishment of OPHE using national poverty lines. Finally, we explore socioeconomic factors of financial hardships of OPHE. Results: Over the years, catastrophic headcount and impoverishment of OPHE had decreased at national level (–1.3% points) and in the provinces of Sindh (-7.8% points) and Khyber Pukhtoonkhawa (KPK), (–2.8% points). The province of KPK and the year 2005-06 witnessed the highest incidence of financial catastrophe (26.89% points) and impoverishment (4.8% points) of OPHE. Households in rural areas, in the middle and rich quintiles and those headed by a male were more likely to encounter financial catastrophe and impoverishment due to OPHE. Conclusion: Inter-provincial variation in financial hardships of OPHE provide aide to provincial level priority setting. The high impact of OPHE in the non-poor, in rural areas, and in KPK calls for enhanced targeting of financial risk protection plans.

scholarly journals Factors related to excessive out-of-pocket expenditures among the ultra-poor after discontinuity of PBF: a cross-sectional study in Burkina Faso

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yvonne Beaugé ◽  
Valéry Ridde ◽  
Emmanuel Bonnet ◽  
Sidibé Souleymane ◽  
Naasegnibe Kuunibe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Burkina Faso ◽  
Financial Risk ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Service Utilisation ◽  
Health Coverage ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Financial Risk Protection ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Risk Protection

Abstract Background Measuring progress towards financial risk protection for the poorest is essential within the framework of Universal Health Coverage. The study assessed the level of out-of-pocket expenditure and factors associated with excessive out-of-pocket expenditure among the ultra-poor who had been targeted and exempted within the context of the performance-based financing intervention in Burkina Faso. Ultra-poor were selected based on a community-based approach and provided with an exemption card allowing them to access healthcare services free of charge. Methods We performed a descriptive analysis of the level of out-of-pocket expenditure on formal healthcare services using data from a cross-sectional study conducted in Diébougou district. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to investigate the factors related to excessive out-of-pocket expenditure among the ultra-poor. The analysis was restricted to individuals who reported formal health service utilisation for an illness-episode within the last six months. Excessive spending was defined as having expenditure greater than or equal to two times the median out-of-pocket expenditure. Results Exemption card ownership was reported by 83.64% of the respondents. With an average of FCFA 23051.62 (USD 39.18), the ultra-poor had to supplement a significant amount of out-of-pocket expenditure to receive formal healthcare services at public health facilities which were supposed to be free. The probability of incurring excessive out-of-pocket expenditure was negatively associated with being female (β = − 2.072, p = 0.00, ME = − 0.324; p = 0.000) and having an exemption card (β = − 1.787, p = 0.025; ME = − 0.279, p = 0.014). Conclusions User fee exemptions are associated with reduced out-of-pocket expenditure for the ultra-poor. Our results demonstrate the importance of free care and better implementation of existing exemption policies. The ultra-poor’s elevated risk due to multi-morbidities and severity of illness need to be considered when allocating resources to better address existing inequalities and improve financial risk protection.

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