Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) were previously considered to only affect high-income
countries. However, they now account for a very large burden in terms of both mortality and …

This paper summarizes the literature on the impact of state subsidized or social health
insurance schemes that have been offered, mostly on a voluntary basis, to the informal …

BACKGROUND: Patients awaiting cardiac surgery typically experience significant physical
and psychological stress. However, although there is evidence that preoperative education …

Abstract The World Health Organization estimates that annually 150 million people
experience severe (catastrophic) financial difficulties as a result of healthcare payments …

In 2007, China launched a subsidized voluntary public health insurance program, the Urban
Resident Basic Medical Insurance (URBMI), for urban residents without formal employment …

Background Along with rapid economic development, the aging process in China is
gradually accelerating. The living conditions of empty-nest rural elderly are worrisome. As a …

BTC/CTB Belgische Technische Coöperatie/Coopération technique belge (development
cooperation agency, Belgium) BMI Basic Medical Insurance (compulsory urban health …

Moving away from out-of-pocket (OOP) payments for healthcare at the time of use to
prepayment through health insurance (HI) is an important step towards averting financial …

Reducing rural–urban disparities in health and health care has been a key policy goal for
the Chinese government. With mental health becoming an increasingly significant public …

Background In 2002, the Chinese government launched a new rural health financing policy
to provide health insurance (New Cooperative Medical Scheme, NCMS) for its rural …