Providing financial protection in health for low-income populations: a comparison of health financing designs in East Asia.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Fighting illness and poverty are intertwined objectives in global development. In recent decades, health financing reforms across many nations have enhanced financial protection for low-income populations and promoted health equity for all citizens. However, prior cross-national comparative studies predominantly focused on examining financing structures or social health insurance (SHI) schemes, neglecting financing schemes targeting the poor, such as medical financial assistance (MFA). This study comparatively explores the design of health financing schemes and financial protection outcomes for low-income populations across six societies in East Asia: mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore.

Methods

We assess the design of health finan

SUBMITTER: Zhang Q 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12315319 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature