Health Insurance
Advancing Health Systems Podcast Series, Episode 3
One of the biggest barriers to accessing health services is high out-of-pocket spending. In fact, high cost of health care is a leading cause of bankruptcy. Insurance schemes seek to pool financial risk, reducing the overall financial burden on individuals and improving access to critical health care services. But to implement these schemes at a national level, there needs to be strong government buy-in, leadership, and commitment -- especially financial commitment.
This podcast -- produced by the LHSS Project’s predecessor, the Health Finance and Governance project -- explores the four major insurance models and how they are being implemented around the world, especially in low- and middle-income countries. It examines challenges to setting up health insurance schemes in low- and middle-income countries, and looks at what some countries are doing to make these schemes financially sustainable and more accessible to poor households.
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About the Advancing Health Systems Podcast Series
The Advancing Health Systems podcast series explores fundamental issues involved in expanding people’s access to health care in low- and middle-income countries. The podcasts were produced by the USAID-funded Health Finance and Governance (HFG) project, which ran from 2012-2018. They were recorded in 2018.