The Prices in the Crises: What We Are Learning from Twenty Years of Health Insurance in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

doi:10.1596/1813-9450-10313

Publication:
The Prices in the Crises: What We Are Learning from Twenty Years of Health Insurance in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

dc.contributor.author	Das, Jishnu
dc.contributor.author	Do, Quy-Toan
dc.date.accessioned	2023-02-27T17:39:28Z
dc.date.accessioned	2023-03-06T16:37:23Z
dc.date.available	2023-02-27T17:39:28Z
dc.date.available	2023-03-06T16:37:23Z
dc.date.issued	2023-02
dc.description.abstract	Governments in many low- and middle-income countries are developing health insurance products as a complement to tax-funded, subsidized provision of health care through publicly operated facilities. This paper discusses two rationales for this transition. First, health insurance would boost fiscal revenues for health care, as post-treatment out-of-pocket payments to providers would be replaced by pre-treatment insurance premia to health ministries. Second, increased patient choice and carefully designed physician reimbursements would increase quality in the health care sector. This essay shows that, at best, these objectives have only been partially met. Despite evidence that health insurance has provided financial protection, consumers are not willing to pay for unsubsidized premia. Health outcomes have not improved despite an increase in utilization. The authors argue that this is not because there was no room to improve the quality of care but because behavioral responses among health care providers have systematically undermined the objectives of these insurance schemes.	en
dc.identifier	http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/099646102222328569/IDU09939e0140545c040490b24d0db206215ee67
dc.identifier.doi	https://doi.org/10.1596/1813-9450-10313
dc.identifier.uri	https://hdl.handle.net/10986/39472
dc.language	English
dc.language.iso	en
dc.publisher	World Bank, Washington, DC
dc.relation.ispartofseries	Policy Research Working Papers;10313
dc.rights	CC BY 3.0 IGO
dc.rights.holder	World Bank
dc.rights.uri	http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo
dc.subject	HEALTH MINISTRIES
dc.subject	HEALTH INSURANCE UTILIZATION
dc.subject	HEALTH INSURANCE
dc.subject	HEALTH CARE QUALITY
dc.subject	MORAL HAZARD
dc.subject	ADVERSE SELECTION
dc.subject	HEALTH CARE PROVIDER BEHAVIOR
dc.subject	MEDICAL INSURANCE PREMIUMS
dc.title	The Prices in the Crises	en
dc.title.subtitle	What We Are Learning from Twenty Years of Health Insurance in Low- and Middle-Income Countries	en
dc.type	Working Paper	en
dc.type	Document de travail	fr
dc.type	Documento de trabajo	es
dspace.entity.type	Publication
okr.crossref.title	The Prices in the Crises: What we are Learning from Twenty Years of Health Insurance in Low- and Middle-Income Countries
okr.date.disclosure	2023-02-22
okr.date.doiregistration	2025-04-10T11:24:50.853221Z
okr.date.lastmodified	2023-02-22T00:00:00Z	en
okr.doctype	Working Papers
okr.doctype	Working Papers::Policy Research Working Papers
okr.docurl	http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/099646102222328569/IDU09939e0140545c040490b24d0db206215ee67
okr.guid	099646102222328569
okr.identifier.doi	10.1596/1813-9450-10313
okr.identifier.externaldocumentum	IDU-9939e014-545c-4049-b24d-db206215ee67
okr.identifier.internaldocumentum	34007528
okr.identifier.report	WPS10313
okr.imported	true	en
okr.language.supported	en
okr.pdfurl	http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/099646102222328569/pdf/IDU09939e0140545c040490b24d0db206215ee67.pdf	en
okr.topic	Health, Nutrition and Population::Health Insurance
okr.topic	Health, Nutrition and Population::Health Policy and Management
okr.topic	Health, Nutrition and Population::Health Systems Development & Reform
okr.topic	Health, Nutrition and Population::Public Health Promotion
okr.topic	Health, Nutrition and Population::Health Economics & Finance
okr.unit	DECRG: Poverty & Inequality (DECPI)