Towards Improved Measurement of Financial Protection in Health
2011
Improving Financial Protection in Health
publication
Evidence: high
Author Information
Author(s): Rodrigo Moreno-Serra, Christopher Millett, Peter C. Smith
Primary Institution: Imperial College London
Hypothesis
New metrics are needed to better inform policy development on financial protection in health.
Conclusion
Most health systems do not provide adequate financial protection, and current measures may underestimate the extent of financial hardship faced by citizens.
Supporting Evidence
- Financial hardship due to medical payments affects 150 million people globally each year.
- Conventional indicators of financial protection do not capture those who cannot afford health services.
- Countries with similar catastrophic spending levels can have vastly different health service coverage.
Takeaway
Many people can't afford health care, and the way we measure this isn't good enough. We need better ways to see who is really struggling.
Limitations
Current metrics do not account for those who cannot afford to use health services, leading to potential misinterpretation of financial protection levels.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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