Financial Risk Protection/Health Insurance
Challenge
Out-pocket spending by households – the most regressive form of financing and the most likely to impede access to health care by the poor – accounts for more than half of total health financing in most developing countries in Asia and Sub Saharan Africa. WHO passed a resolution in 2005 endorsing universal coverage. Since then interest in health insurance among developing countries has spread quickly. Almost every USAID-presence country in sub-Saharan Africa is actively exploring the introduction or expansion of some form of risk pooling. Worldwide, many countries already have spent scarce time, money, and effort on health insurance initiatives. While health insurance offers many benefits, developing countries face great challenges as to how to increase their financing capacity, extend health insurance coverage to the poor, expand benefits packages, and improve the performance of existing health insurance schemes.
Approach
In response to these trends, Health Systems 2020’s strategy for health insurance is to move countries along a transparent and responsible path towards universal health insurance coverage/financial risk protection in a sustainable manner. The project’s philosophy is to support country-led design and implementation based on evidence, avoiding dogma and generic prescriptions. Health Systems 20/20 is working to:
- Increase the understanding among policymakers and implementers to the challenges as well as benefits of these approaches based on the evidence (studies, regional workshops, and practical technical materials such as the Health Insurance Handbook)
- Assist countries move forward with implementation (Egypt, India, Liberia, Mali, and Senegal)
- Collaborate with international partners (World Bank, WHO, ILO, Results for Development, The Gates Foundation, ECSA-HC)
Health Systems 20/20 and Financial Risk Protection/Health Insurance Brief
Download a Health Systems 20/20 presentation on improving access to health care through insurance
Presentation from Burkina Faso
Country: Burkina Faso
Cameroon Presentation - Final day of HRIH
Type: Presentation
Country: Cameroon
Présentation du Cameroun
Country: Cameroon
Présentation du BENIN
Type: Presentation
Country: Benin
Présentation du Mali
Country: Mali
Egyptian Health Insurance Organization Web Site Features Articles on Health Systems 20/20
Aug 20 2010Three articles recently posted on the Egyptian HIO website Health Insurance Organization (HIO) web site highlight work that Health Systems 20/20 is doing with the HIO, an enterprise that insures and provides health care services to more than half of the Egyptian population. More...
Delivering Health Insurance Benefits to the Poor in India
Jul 6 2010Building the Capacity of Egypt’s Health Insurance Organization (HIO) for Effective Budgeting and Financial Forecasting
Apr 1 2010As part of efforts to support Egypt's Health Insurance Organization (HIO) to strengthen and reorganize its health care purchasing and payment functions, Health Systems 20/20 led financial management and cost accounting workshops with HIO's financial department.
More...Health Insurance Workshop, October 2009, Ghana
Jul 8 2009Many African countries are interested in health insurance and are experimenting with different forms of risk pooling. Health Systems 20/20, in coordination with the World Bank and WHO, is organizing a hands-on workshop to help countries chart an informed and responsible path towards a form of health insurance that fits their needs and resources.
More...Innovations for Health Financing in Sub-Saharan Africa
Dec 30 2008Senior experts from development agencies and think tanks located in the Washington area met on November 5, 2008 for a roundtable discussion on "Innovations for Health Financing in Sub-Saharan Africa."
More...
Organizational Capacity Building
