Karine Hajyan

THE ESSENCE OF HEALTHCARE FINANCING AND UNIVERSAL
HEALTH COVERAGE POLICY

https://doi.org /10.59982/18294359-24.2-ak-07

Abstract.
The healthcare financing is one of the four functions of the health system (management, resource generation, financing, and health service delivery) and is linked to each of the other key functions in a number of ways. Thus, funding is critical to operational aspects of governance such as setting strategic directions and securing sufficient funds to support the implementation of universal health coverage (UHC) policies. Universal health coverage is a global priority, ensuring equal access to quality healthcare services without financial hardship.
The funding function offers monetary incentives to providers to prioritize the delivery of certain types of services and encourages providers to deliver those health services at the highest quality and/or most efficiently. The financing function is also responsible for ensuring adequate insurance coverage of the population, as the right to access services is based on whether an individual has made a financial contribution or an indirect contribution has been made on behalf of that individual to the health system. Without a strong financing function, health workers may “migrate” to higher-paying health systems, because there will not be sufficient resources to maintain health facilities or to pay for medicines. In other words, funding is key to the success of all health system functions.
Keywords: universal health coverage (UHC), revenue raising, pooling resources, purchasing goods and services, governance of health financing, coverage policies, public financial management.

PAGES: 83-98

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