Effective factors and drivers of Iran's health care financing system

Ramezanian, Maryam; Haghdoost, Ali Akbar; Mehrolhassani, Mohammad Hossein; Abolhallaje, Masoud; Dehnavieh, Reza; Poursheikhali, Atousa

doi:10.47176/mjiri.34.104

Cited by 2 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 0 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…[ 28 ] In a study conducted by Ramezanian in 2018 entitled “Future study of the Iranian Health Financing System in the Horizon of 1417,” the findings showed insufficient transparency of financial information for decision-making and the intervention of other organizations in the provision and distribution of financial resources in the health sector. It is one of the major challenges in health financing and requires planning for the future of the health system to prevent the situation from becoming critical,[ 29 ] which is consistent with the results of the present study. The study of Zare et al .…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Iranian health financing system challenges to promote health outcomes: Qualitative study

Jabbari

Zakeri

Saghafi

et al. 2023

Journal of Education and Health Promotion

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

BACKGROUND: Adequate health financing system should have key criteria and characteristics such as risk distribution over time, risk accumulation, sustainable resource provision, and resource allocation based on meeting essential needs. Weakness of the tariff system, lack of attention to strategic purchasing, inefficient allocation of manpower, and a weak payment system are among the problems within the Iranian financing system. Given the weaknesses of the current health financing system, it seems necessary to identify challenges and provide effective solutions to address them. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This qualitative study was conducted to explore the views of a group of 32 major policymakers and planners in the various departments and levels of the Ministry of Health, Universities of Medical Sciences, Medical System Organization, and Health Insurance Organization in Iran ( n = 32), selected through purposive sampling. The data was collected through in-depth and semi-structured interviews and analyzed using Graneheim and Lundman's conventional content analysis methods. The trial version of MAXQDA 16 software was used to manage the coding process. RESULTS: Based on the results of data analysis, a total of 5 categories and 28 subcategories were obtained. In this study, five main categories were obtained through the content analysis method, including (1) stewardship; (2) providing services; (3) production of resources; (4) collecting resources; and (5) purchasing and allocation of resources. CONCLUSION: It is suggested that those in charge of the health system, following the reform of the organization of the health system, move toward the improvement and widespread implementation of the referral system and that clinical guidelines be carefully compiled. Also, appropriate motivational and legal tools should be used to implement them. However, insurance companies need to make cost, population, and service coverage more effective.

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Iranian health financing system challenges to promote health outcomes: Qualitative study

Jabbari

Zakeri

Saghafi

et al. 2023

Journal of Education and Health Promotion

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Therefore, in order to achieve effective policymaking, health system reforms should prioritize the healthcare needs of these particular households. In line with this finding, Ramezanian et al (2020) confirmed that vulnerable social classes incurred a higher burden of the HFC to health expenditure [29].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 74%

To what extent has the Iranian Health Transformation Plan addressed inequality in healthcare financing in Iran?

Moeeni

Nosratnejad

Rostampour

et al. 2023

Int J Equity Health

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background One of the major goals of health systems is providing a financing strategy without inequality; this has a significant impact on people’s access to healthcare. The present study aimed to investigate the inequality in households’ financial contribution (HFC) to health expenditure both before and after the implementation of the Iranian Health Transformation Plan (HTP) in 2014. Methods This study is a secondary analysis of two waves of a national survey conducted in Iran. The data were collected from the Households Income and Expenditure Survey in 2013 and 2015. The research sample included 76,195 Iranian households. The inequality in households’ financial contributions to the health system was assessed using the Gini coefficient, and the concentration index (CI). In addition, by using econometric modeling, the relationship between the implementation of the HTP and inequality in HFC was studied. The households’ financial contribution included healthcare and health insurance prepayments. Results The Gini coefficient values were 0.67 and 0.65 in 2013 and 2015, respectively, indicating a medium degree of inequality in HFC in both years. The CI values were 0.54 and 0.56 in 2013 and 2015, respectively, suggesting that inequalities in HFC were in favor of higher income quintiles in the years before and after the implementation of the HTP. Regression analysis showed that households with a female head, with an unemployed head, or with a head having income without a job were contributing more to financing health expenditure. The presence of a household member over the age of 65 was associated with a higher level of HFC. The implementation of the HTP had a negative relationship with the HFC. Conclusion The HTP, aiming to address inequality in the financing system, did not achieve the intended goal as expected. The implementation of the HTP neglected certain factors at the household level, such as the presence of family members older than the age of 65, a female household head, and unemployment. This resulted in a failure to reduce the inequality of the HFC. We suggest that, in the future, policymakers take into account factors at the household level to reduce inequality in the HFC.

show abstract

Effective factors and drivers of Iran's health care financing system

Cited by 2 publications

References 0 publications

Iranian health financing system challenges to promote health outcomes: Qualitative study

Iranian health financing system challenges to promote health outcomes: Qualitative study

To what extent has the Iranian Health Transformation Plan addressed inequality in healthcare financing in Iran?

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About