Despite progressive universal drug coverage and pharmaceutical policies found in other countries, Canada remains the only developed nation with a publicly funded healthcare system that does not include universal coverage for prescription drugs. In the absence of a national pharmacare plan, a province may choose to cover a specific sub-population for certain drugs. Altho...

Background: Tariff setting in healthcare is an important control knob affecting the quality, access and cost of services. As part of Iran Health Transformation Plan (HTP) in 2014, the relative value of health care and services was increased to motivate healthcare providers to deliver high quality services. This study aimed to examine the impact of HTP on health services tariffs. Methods: This ...

Justifying his proposal for "health savings accounts," which would allow individuals to set aside tax-free dollars against future healthcare needs, President Bush has said that "Health savings accounts all aim at empowering people to make decisions for themselves." Who could disagree with such a sentiment? Although bioethicists may be among those who express skepticism that personal health savi...

Healthcare reforms aim to change certain parts of the health system to improve quality of care, access, or financial sustainability. Traditionally, healthcare reform is understood as an action undertaken by a government at a national or local level. However, bottom-up changes can also lead to improvements in the health system. This paper describes the efforts of a coordinated multi-stakeholder ...

Universal health coverage generates significant health and economic benefits and enables governments to reduce inequity. Where universal health coverage has been implemented well, it can contribute to nation-building. This analysis reviews evidence from Asia and Pacific drawing out determinants of successful systems and barriers to progress with a focus on women and children. Access to healthca...

in modern decentralised health systems, district and local managers are increasingly responsible for financing, managing, and delivering healthcare. however, their lack of adequate skills and competencies are a critical barrier to improved performance of health systems. given the financial and human resource, constraints of relying on traditional face-to-face training to upskill a large and dis...

Project is dedicated to raising public awareness of the importance of ensuring health privacy in order to improve health care access and quality, both on an individual and a community level. National Institutes of Health, for reviewing the science sections of this report and for her thoughtful comments. The California HealthCare Foundation (CHCF) is an independent philanthropy committed to impr...

The Hallmark of Adolescence is defining one's identity by contrast, by rebelling against parental expectations and values. It is also an awkward, angst-ridden time -a time of searching and testing. Despite its 60-year history, managed care as a business is still in its adolescence. After a lengthy period in the shadows of "fee-for-service" and indemnity insurance, managed care plans have emerge...

BACKGROUND Armenians very rarely seek healthcare services and, consequently experience more serious health conditions. With its ongoing reforms, Armenia is focusing on linking health system financing to the quality and volume of care provided. We examine the relationship between the perceived health status of the population and the satisfaction with healthcare services. METHODS A pooled probi...

BACKGROUND External supervision of Rwandan primary healthcare facilities unfolds as an interaction between supervisors and healthcare providers. Their relationship has not been thoroughly studied in Rwanda, and rarely in Africa. AIM To explore perceived characteristics and effects of the relationship between providers in public primary healthcare facilities and their external supervisors in R...