Classification and focus comparison of health financing frameworks: A scoping review.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to review the current frameworks for understanding and assessing health financing and draw out the dimensions of conceptual frameworks. METHODS: This scoping review was conducted using the five stages of Arksey and O'Malley's framework. We reviewed all published peer-reviewed literature indexed in PubMed, SCOPUS, and Embase from 2000 up to 2021 for inclusion. RESULTS: We identified 21 frameworks developed to assess financing in the health system. We classified frameworks by grouping them into: frameworks focusing on health financing as a constituent of health system and frameworks focusing on health financing only. We classified health financing frameworks further into three main groups according to the general commonalities among them. These three groups are as follows: (1) frameworks providing general recommendations for improving health financing system regardless of sources of financing, (2) frameworks focusing on improving the performance of health insurance schemes, and (3) frameworks focusing on managing public health financing. CONCLUSION: Despite being diverse, various health financing frameworks offer synergistic views to the health financing system and provide a comprehensive picture of the health financing system. These frameworks can help policy makers decide which framework is more appropriate to start with based on their local contextual features and the changes they are going to bring about in their health financing system.

Criteria for the selection of complementary private health insurance: the experience of a large organisation in Iran.

BACKGROUND: Expenses related to employee's health benefit packages are rising. Hence, organisations are looking for complementary health financing arrangements to provide more financial protection for employees. This study aims to develop criteria to choose the most appropriate complementary health insurance company based on the experience of a large organisation in Iran. METHODS: This study was conducted in 2021 in Iran, in the Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs to find as many applicable criteria as possible. To develop a comprehensive list of criteria, we used triangulation in data sources, including review of relevant national and international documents, in-depth interviews of key informants, focus group discussion, and examining similar but unpublished checklists used by other organisations in Iran. The list of criteria was prioritised during focus group discussions. We used the best-worst method as a multi-criteria decision making method and a qualitative consensus among the key informants to value the importance of each of the finalised criteria. FINDINGS: Out of 85 criteria, we selected 28 criteria to choose an insurer for implementing complementary private health insurance. The finalised criteria were fell into six domains: (i) Previous experience of the applicants; (ii) Communication with clients; (iii) Financial status; (iv) Health care providers' network; (v) Technical infrastructure and workforce; (vi) and Process of reviewing claims and reimbursement. CONCLUSION: We propose a quantitative decision-making checklist to choose the best complimentary private health insurance provider. We invite colleagues to utilise, adapt, modify, or develop these criteria to suit their organisational needs. This checklist can be applied in any low- and middle-income country where the industry of complementary health insurance is blooming.

Expanding Fiscal Space for Healthcare System through Efficiency: A Qualitative Study from Iran.

BACKGROUND: Healthcare systems are always facing increasing public demands to provide better services. Therefore, countries always need more resources and are constantly seeking more fiscal space for health. Freeing up resources through improving efficiency can be a practical option for all settings, particularly countries with low resources. This study aimed to identify feasible options for expanding fiscal space through efficiency within Iran's healthcare system. METHODS: This was a qualitative study. We conducted 29 semi-structured in-depth interviews with stakeholders at various levels of healthcare system in 2017 and 2018. We used mixed method (deductive and inductive) qualitative content analysis. Pre-defined themes extracted from literature and meanwhile new subthemes were developed and added to the initial framework. RESULTS: We identified three main themes that affect the efficiency of healthcare system in Iran: administration, implementation, and monitoring. Problematic administration, inappropriate implementation and lack of good monitoring in healthcare initiatives may lead to inefficiencies and wasting resources. Recognizing these leakages in every healthcare system can free up some resources. CONCLUSION: Irrespective of their economic development, all countries may, to some extent, face limited resources to address ever-increasing needs in their healthcare systems. While generating new resources is not always possible, enhancing efficiency to expand fiscal space might be a feasible option. Healthcare systems should identify the leakages and respond to wastages with appropriate planning. Getting the most out of current resources is possible through proper administration, good implementation and a well-established monitoring system for healthcare initiatives.

Combining health insurance funds in a fragmented context: what kind of challenges should be considered?

BACKGROUND: Iran's Parliament passed a Law in 2010 to merge the existing health insurance schemes to boost risk pooling. Merging can be challenging as there are differences among health insurance schemes in various aspects. This qualitative prospective policy analysis aims to reveal key challenges and implementation barriers of the policy as introduced in Iran. METHODS: A qualitative study of key informants and documentary review was conducted. Sixty-seven semi-structured face-to-face interviews were conducted, with key informants from relevant stakeholders. Purposive and snowball sampling techniques were used for selecting the interviewees. The related policy documents were also reviewed and analyzed to supplement interviews. Data analysis was conducted through an existing health financing World Bank framework. RESULTS: This study demonstrated that for combining health insurance funds, operational challenges in the following areas should be taken into account: financing mechanisms, population coverage, benefits package, provider engagement, organizational structure, health service delivery and operational processes. It is also important to have adequate cogent reasons to "the justification of the consolidation process" in the given context. When moving towards combining health insurance funds, especially in countries with a purchaser-provider split, it is critical for policy makers to make sure that the health insurance system is aligned with the policies and Stewardship of the broader health care system. CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of major reforms in a health system with fragmented insurance schemes with different target populations, prepayment structures, benefit packages and history of development is inherently difficult, especially when different stakeholders have vetoing powers over the proposed reforms. Solving the differences and operational challenges in the main areas of health insurance system generated in this study may provide a platform for the designing and implementing merging process of social health insurance schemes in Iran and other countries with similar situations.

Population Coverage to Reach Universal Health Coverage in Selected Nations: A Synthesis of Global Strategies.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to provide tailored transferrable lessons for expanding population coverage through a descriptive lens by reviewing the population coverage policies, reforms and strategies in selected nations. METHODS: In this comparative short communication, 14 countries with different status of population coverage and political economy that had successful experiences with coverage expansion were selected and categorized in four groups to study their approaches to reach Universal Health Coverage (UHC). RESULTS: Although each country needs to tailor its policies and reforms based on its own contextual factors, the legal right of citizens to social security and health protection are enshrined in most countries' Constitution. Some countries adapted political and economic reforms to evolve their Social Health Insurance schemes. National laws to push governments to adapt UHC as a national strategy for ensuring that every resident is enrolled in health insurance schemes are key policies to reach UHC. CONCLUSION: A series of reforms are required to provide total population coverage through various approaches. To create an effective insurance coverage, physical merger of all insurance funds is not necessarily required. Further, the share of GDP for health is not a definite indicator to reach UHC. Finally, strong political commitment and citizens' participation are the key issues in reaching UHC, while considering the poorest, remote and neglected population really matters.

Cost Effectiveness of Mobile versus Fixed Computed Tomography and Magnetic Resonance Imaging: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Mobile technologies are widely used in healthcare. The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of fixed computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with the mobile ones. METHODS: In this systematic review, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Scopus and CRD database were searched from 1995 to 2015. The data on safety and effectiveness of technologies were extracted from included studies. Because the review showed no significant differences in the performance of mobile CT and MRI compared to the fixed ones, then a cost minimization approach was used to explore the cost-effectiveness of three scenarios. RESULTS: Twenty two articles were included in the review that showed no statistically significant differences in the performance of mobile MRI and CT scan compared to the fixed ones. The cost minimization approach showed that the third scenario based on purchasing a common mobile MRI and CT scan; and using it by two or more hospitals that are in rational distance from each other is associated with the lowest costs, so it is the most cost-effectiveness strategy. CONCLUSION: The performance of Mobile CT and mobile MRI is comparable to the fixed ones; and using a combined mobile CT and MRI by two or three hospitals is the most cost-effective approach.