The function of competitive intelligence in South African insurance post-COVID-19 outbreak

Background: Competitive intelligence (CI) involves monitoring competitors and providing organizations with actionable and meaningful intelligence. Some studies have focused on the role of CI in other industries post-COVID-19 pandemic. Objectives: This article aims to examine the impact of COVID-19 on the South African insurance sector and how the integration of CI and related technologies can sustain the South African insurance sector post-COVID-19 epidemic. Method: Qualitative research with an exploratory-driven approach was used to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the South African insurance sector. Qualitative secondary data analyses were conducted to measure insurance claims and death benefits paid during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: The research findings showed that the COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted the South African insurance industry, leading to a reassessment of pricing, products, and risk management. COVID-19 caused disparities in death benefits and claims between provinces; not everyone was insured. Despite challenges, South African insurers remained well-capitalised and attentive to policyholders. Integrating CI and analytical technologies could enhance the flexibility of prevention, risk management, and product design. Conclusion: COVID-19 requires digital transformation and CI for South African insurers' competitiveness. Integrating artificial intelligence (AI), big data (BD), and CI enhances value, efficiency, and risk assessments. Contribution: This study highlights the importance of integrating CI strategies and related technologies into South African insurance firms' operations to aid in their recovery from the COVID-19 crisis. It addresses a research gap and adds to academic knowledge in this area.

Health benefit utilization and out-of-pocket expenses in outpatient care and hospitalizations: Baseline surveys of three primary care sites in the Philippines

Background@#The Philippine Primary Care Studies (PPCS) is a network of pilot studies that developed, implemented, and tested strategies to strengthen primary care in the country. These pilot studies were implemented in an urban, rural, and remote setting. The aim is to use the findings to guide the policies of the national health insurance program (PhilHealth), the main payor for individualized healthcare services in the country.@*Objective@#The objective of this report is to compare baseline outpatient benefit utilization, hospitalization, and health spending, including out-of-pocket (OOP) expenses, in three health settings (urban, rural, and remote). These findings were used to contextualize strategies to strengthen primary care in these three settings.@*Methods@#Cross-sectional surveys were carried out using an interviewer-assisted questionnaire on a random sample of families in the urban site, and a stratified random sample of households in the rural and remote sites. The questionnaire asked for out-patient and hospitalization utilization and spending, including the OOP expenses. @*Results@#A total of 787 families/households were sampled across the three sites. For outpatient benefits, utilization was low in all sites. The remote site had the lowest utilization at only 15%. Unexpectedly, the average annual OOP expenses for outpatient consults in the remote site was PhP 571.92/per capita. This is 40% higher than expenses shouldered by families in the rural area, but similar with the urban site. For hospital benefits, utilization was lowest in the remote site (55.7%) compared to 75.0% and 78.1% for the urban and rural sites, respectively. OOP expenses per year were highest in the remote site at PhP 2204.44 per capita, probably because of delay in access to healthcare and consequently more severe conditions. Surprisingly, annual expenses per year for families in the rural sites (PhP 672.03 per capita) were less than half of what families in the urban sites spent (PhP 1783.38 per capita). @*Conclusions@#Compared to families in the urban site and households in the rural sites, households in remote areas have higher disease rates and consequently, increased need for outpatient and inpatient health services. When they do get sick, access to care is more difficult. This leads to lower rates of benefit utilization and higher out-of-pocket expenses. Thus, provision of “equal” benefits can inadvertently lead to “inequitable” healthcare, pushing disadvantaged populations into a greater disadvantage. These results imply that health benefits need to be allocated according to need. Families in poorer and more remote areas may require greater subsidies.

Quality of life and factors associated among public university employees retired due to disabilities / Qualidade de vida e fatores associados entre servidores aposentados por invalidez de universidades públicas / Calidad de vida y factores asociados de empleados jubilados por invalidez de universidades públicas

Abstract Objective: to analyze quality of life and factors associated among public university employees retired due to disabilities. Method: a cross-sectional study conducted with a sample of public university employees retired due to disabilities. A characterization questionnaire and the World Health Organization Quality of Life - Disabilities instrument were applied via telephone or online contacts from November 2019 to September 2020. The associated factors were verified through multiple linear regression. Results: of the 80 retirees due to disability, 15% were professors and 85% had a technical-administrative career. As for the factors associated with Quality of Life, continuous medication use (βadj: -0.25; p=0.02) and problems in the nervous system (βadj: -0.21; p<0.05) were associated with the Overall domain; continuous medication use (βadj: -0.23; p=0.04), to the Physical domain; smoking (βadj: -0.21; p<0.05) and mental and behavioral disorders (βadj: -0.21; p<0.01), to the Psychological domain; smoking (βadj: -0.46; p<0.01) and respiratory (βadj: -0.21; p=0.03) and circulatory (βadj: -0.21; p=0.03) problems, to the Social domain; smoking (βadj: -0.33; p<0.01) and problems in the nervous system (βadj: -0.22; p=0.04), to the Environmental domain; mental and behavioral disorders, to the Disabilities module (βadj: -0.29; p<0.01) and to the Discrimination domain (βadj: -0.21; p<0.05); and smoking (βadj: -0.32; p<0.01) and problems in the nervous system (βadj: -0.20; p<0.05), to the Inclusion domain. The Autonomy domain did not present any association. Conclusion: the retirees under study presented impaired Quality of Life.

Resumo Objetivo: analisar a qualidade de vida e os fatores associados entre servidores de universidades públicas aposentados por invalidez. Método: estudo transversal, com amostra de servidores aposentados por invalidez de universidades públicas. Um questionário de caracterização e o World Health Organization Quality of Life - Disabilities foram aplicados por contato telefônico ou online no período de novembro de 2019 a setembro de 2020. Verificaram-se os fatores associados por regressão linear múltipla. Resultados: dos 80 aposentados por invalidez, 15% eram docentes e 85% da carreira técnica-administrativa. Quanto aos fatores associados à qualidade de vida, o uso de medicação contínua (βaj: -0,25; p=0,02) e os problemas do sistema nervoso (βaj: -0,21; p<0,05) associaram-se ao domínio Overall; o uso de medicação contínua (βaj: -0,23; p=0,04) ao domínio físico; o tabagismo (βaj: -0,21; p<0,05) e os transtornos mentais e comportamentais (βaj: -0,21; p<0,01) ao domínio psicológico; o tabagismo (βaj: -0,46; p<0,01), os problemas respiratórios (βaj: -0,21; p=0,03) e circulatórios (βaj: -0,21; p=0,03) ao domínio social; o tabagismo (βaj: -0,33; p<0,01) e os problemas do sistema nervoso (βaj: -0,22; p=0,04) ao domínio ambiental; os transtornos mentais e comportamentais ao módulo incapacidades (βaj: -0,29; p<0,01) e ao domínio discriminação (βaj: -0,21; p<0,05); o tabagismo (βaj: -0,32; p<0,01) e os problemas do sistema nervoso (βaj: -0,20; p<0,05) ao domínio inclusão. O domínio autonomia não apresentou associação. Conclusão: os aposentados estudados apresentaram uma qualidade de vida prejudicada.

Resumen Objetivo: analizar la calidad de vida y los factores asociados de empleados de universidades públicas jubilados por invalidez. Método: estudio transversal, con una muestra de trabajadores jubilados por invalidez de universidades públicas. Se aplicó un cuestionario de caracterización y el World Health Organization Quality of Life - Disabilities mediante contacto telefónico u online desde noviembre de 2019 hasta septiembre de 2020. Los factores asociados se verificaron mediante regresión lineal múltiple. Resultados: de los 80 jubilados por invalidez, el 15% era docente y el 85% era técnico-administrativo. En cuanto a los factores asociados a la calidad de vida, el uso continuo de medicamentos (βaj: -0,25; p=0,02) y los problemas del sistema nervioso (βaj: -0,21; p<0,05) se asociaron al dominio overall; el uso continuo de medicamentos (βaj: -0,23; p=0,04) el dominio físico; el tabaquismo (βaj: -0,21; p<0,05) y los trastornos mentales y conductuales (βaj: -0,21; p<0,01) al dominio psicológico; el tabaquismo (βaj: -0,46; p<0,01), los problemas respiratorios (βaj: -0,21; p=0,03) y circulatorios (βaj:-0,21;p=0,03) al dominio social; el tabaquismo (βaj: -0,33; p<0,01) y los problemas del sistema nervioso (βaj: -0,22; p=0,04) al dominio ambiental; los trastornos mentales y conductuales al módulo discapacidad (βaj: -0,29; p<0,01) y al dominio discriminación (βaj: -0,21; p<0,05); el tabaquismo (βaj: -0,32; p<0,01) y los problemas del sistema nervioso (βaj: -0,20; p<0,05) al dominio inclusión. El dominio autonomía no mostró asociación. Conclusión: la calidad de vida de los jubilados por invalidez que participaron del estudio estaba deteriorada.

Government Health Insurance Schemes and Their Benefits to The Indian Population: An Overview

In today’s scenario accelerating cost of health significantly impact the health of people and the populace creat-ing a monetary burden on poor households. One of the key concerns while tackling healthcare disparities is out-of-pocket expenses (OOPE). Providing financial safety and provide universal coverage to the entire popu-lace are the main goal of health schemes. Health policies in India are based on equity prioritising the needs of the poor and underprivileged. Likewise, there is a discrepancy in the consistency of information and knowledge regarding the scheme among the beneficiaries. A review was created to help medical and nursing professionals to gain comprehensive knowledge of various health schemes. We tried to give an overview of various health schemes including Ayushman Bharat Yojana, Aam Aadmi Bima Yojana (AABY), Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY), Rashtriya Swasthya BimaYojana (RSBY), Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS), Employees State Insurance Scheme (ESIC), Employee Health Scheme and various state-level health schemes. include, Yeshasvini Health Insurance Scheme, Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Jan Arogya Yojana, Chief Min-ister Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme, Mukhyamantri Amrutum Yojana, Karunya Health Scheme, Awaz Health Insurance Scheme, Telangana State Govt Employees and Journalist Health Scheme, Dr Ysr Aarog-yastri Health Care Trust, Mukhyamantri Chiranjeevi Yojana, Rajasthan Government Health Scheme (RGHS), and Aarogya Raksha.

Judge Juan Manuel Padilla Garcia, ChatGPT, and a controversial medicolegal milestone

Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer (ChatGPT) has revolutionized how we perceive artificial intelligence (AI).: Judge Juan Manuel Padilla Garcia created history by mentioning its use while passing judgment about an autistic child and payment for his medical treatment by his insurance company. The use of AI is not new and is helping the judiciary system in many ways. However, this judgment given on January 30, 2023, has ignited controversy among Judge Garcia’s peers and the global community (a Google search produced more than 70 million hits on February 5, 2023). EU has established guidelines that are to be followed before calling any AI tool trustworthy. This requires stringent compliance with the verification and due diligence process. In this instance, ChatGPT was used within 2 months of its launch, even when it has been shown to give incomplete, incorrect, and misleading answers in many instances. Hasty adaption of unproven technology, however good it may be, should not be our path. This might fuel the misguided fear amongst people about robots taking over from human judges.

Impacto del Aseguramiento en Salud en la Economía de los Hogares Peruanos, 2010-2019

Objetivo : Determinar el impacto del aseguramiento en salud en la economía de los hogares peruanos en el periodo 2010-2019. Materiales y Métodos : Estudio analítico transversal, que utilizó la base de datos de la Encuesta Nacional de Hogares de los años 2010, 2014 y 2019 para analizar el impacto del aseguramiento en salud en términos de gasto de bolsillo en salud, gasto catastrófico y empobrecimiento de los hogares peruanos, así como determinar qué otros factores se encuentran asociados. Resultados : Durante el periodo de estudio se observó que los hogares peruanos presentaron una disminución del gasto de bolsillo en salud promedio mensual (S/.119,9 en 2010 a S/.107,9 en 2019), así como del porcentaje de hogares con gasto catastrófico en salud (4,06 % en 2010 a 3,47 % en 2019) y del porcentaje de hogares que empobrecen por gastos de bolsillo en salud (1,78 % en 2010 a 1,51 % en 2019). Los factores asociados al gasto catastrófico en salud y al empobrecimiento fueron el menor nivel de escolaridad del jefe del hogar, la presencia de miembros con enfermedad crónica y el área de residencia rural. La ausencia de aseguramiento en salud se asoció significativamente a un mayor riesgo de gasto de bolsillo en salud catastrófico, mas no al empobrecimiento. Conclusiones : El aumento de la cobertura de aseguramiento en salud contribuye a la protección financiera de los hogares peruanos frente al gasto de bolsillo en salud; sin embargo, las barreras para el acceso efectivo a los servicios de salud y otros factores socioeconómicos pueden limitar significativamente su impacto.

Objective : To determine the impact of health insurance in the economy of Peruvian households during the 2010-2019 period. Material and Methods : This is a cross-sectional analytical study that used the database of the National Peruvian Household Surveys from years 2010, 2014, and 2019, aiming to analyze the impact of health insurance in terms of pocket money spending for health issues, catastrophic healthcare spending, and impoverishment in Peruvian households, and also to determine the presence of other associated factors. Results : During the study period, it was observed that Peruvian households reduced their monthly average pocket money spending for health issues (119.9 PEN in 2010 and 107.9 PEN in 2029), as well as the percentage of household with catastrophic healthcare expenses (4.06% in 2010 to 3.47% in 2019), and the percentage of households who became impoverished because of pocket money expenses for health issues (1.78% in 2020 to 1.51% in 2019). Factors associated to catastrophic healthcare expenses and to impoverishment were lower educational level for the household leader, the presence of family members with chronic diseases, and living in a rural area. The absence of health insurance was significantly associated to a greater risk for catastrophic healthcare expenses, but not to impoverishment. Conclusions : Increased healthcare insurance coverage contributes to financial protection of Peruvian households against pocket money spending for health issues; however, barriers for effective access to healthcare services, and other socioeconomical factors may significantly limit this impact.

Professional indemnity/medical malpractice insurance—Awareness among medical students and consultants of India: An online survey study

Introduction: Professional indemnity (PI) or medical malpractice insurance (MMI) has been a hot topic considering the increasing number of medical negligence cases rising worldwide. However, there is a palpable difference in understanding and usage of this tool in developed countries and regions such as India. Aim: This study aimed to analyze the general understanding of resident doctors and consultants about MMI and knowledge about its technical jargon. Materials and Methods: We distributed short Google Form questionnaires about various aspects of MMI. We recorded the data from 141 resident doctors and 42 consultants in the Navi Mumbai area of India. As it was a survey, we required no ethical review. Results: As consultants’ experience grew, so did their understanding of medical indemnity. Approximately 90%, 64%, and 22% of consultants with 10 years, 5–10 years, and 5 years of experience had acquired PI. The AOY:AOT (any one year:anyone time) ratio was known to just 35% of these specialists. About half of the resident doctors were aware of PI and the effects of medical specialization on PI. Around a fifth of the individuals had only acquired the PI. Conclusion: There needs to be more clarity between the need and knowledge of MMI in India. This needs to be addressed by teaching medical postgraduates about it during training. “There should be special emphasis on medical indemnity in terms of its need, clauses, and cost during postgraduate medical training.”

Awareness, willingness, and challenges of the informal sector toward state National Health Insurance Services in Benin City, Nigeria

Background: As access to vital health services expands and universal health coverage is attained, health insurance is projected to serve as a critical risk protection for families and small enterprises. Aim: To assess the informal sector’s awareness, willingness, and problems in enrolling in the state national health insurance program. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study was done in Benin City, Nigeria, in the unorganized sector. A self-structured questionnaire was created, distributed, and retrieved for this study, which was conducted among 155 artisans chosen through a stratified random sample procedure. To evaluate the data, Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, SPSS version 22 was used. Results: In total, 138 people (89.0%) are aware of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), while only 93 people (60.0%) know that Edo state has a state-owned Health Insurance Scheme (SHIS). Only 17 people, or 11.0%, are engaged in the NHIS/SHIS program, whereas 107 people, or 77.5%, have expressed interest. Lack of accessibility to authorized healthcare facilities near house 22 (71.0%) is a significant deterrent to enrollment in the program. Long lines at service points (3.88, 1.093), the time it takes to enroll new members in the program (3.78, 1.101), the time it takes for health maintenance organizations to issue authorization codes (3.62, 1.316), the accessibility of NHIS services outside of registration institutions (3.29, 1.289), and the standard of drugs provided by the SHIS (3.12, 1.358) are all factors that hinder utilization. Sex and place of residence each strongly correlated with readiness to sign up for the program (AOR = 4.234, P = 0.017, 95% CI: 1.293–13.873 and AOR = 5.224, P = 0.007, 95% CI: 1.557–17.530, respectively). Conclusion: The artisans have a low rate of health insurance coverage but are eager to sign up for the program. State policymakers should increase their reach and make enrollment required to attain a higher range.

A summary on surveillance system of occupational disease under the framework of National Health Insurance Informatization Project / 中华劳动卫生职业病杂志

The surveillance of occupational disease has entered a new stage ofdevelopment, with the implementation of the national health informatization project. To improve the efficiency and quality of occupational disease monitoring information reporting in this paper, the system architecture and related management regulations, as long as the major changes and achievement of "surveillance system of occupational disease and health hazards information" under the framework of National Health Insurance Informatization Project were elaborated. The deficiencies existing in the system were analyzed, and expectation for the construction of the occupational disease surveillance system was addressed.

Analysis on the difference between the payment limitations of anti-cancer drugs and the application scope of drug indications / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To analyze the difference between the payment limitations of anti-cancer drugs and application scope of drug instructions， so as to better implement the payment policy of medical insurance drugs. METHODS The differences between the payment limitations of anti-cancer drugs and application scope of drug instructions in the National Catalogue of Drugs for Basic Medical Insurance， Industrial Injury Insurance and Maternity Insurance （2022） were compared and analyzed； the evidence-based basis of the difference was discussed， and the scope of limited payment was interpreted. RESULTS Totally 118 drugs had payment limitations； limitations scope mainly included limited evidence of gene detection results， limited indications， limited second-line and above treatment， limited payment duration， limited specialist prescription， limited medical institution grade， etc. Among them， 43 drugs had differences between the payment limitations and drug instructions， and the indications of 31 drugs were greater than payment limitations； for seven drugs， the drug indications beyond the payment limitations were recommended by the guidelines. The payment limitations of 75 drugs were consistent with drug instructions. The second-line and multi-line treatment was ineffective or intolerable with first-line drugs. There was a certain relationship between locally advanced， advanced or metastatic tumor and tumor stage， but different tumors had different criteria. Systemic treatment mainly referred to systemic treatment with drug. The results of limited genetic test required that the result was positive or negative. In addition， six kinds of TCM injections were limited to the level of medical institutions； the payment of two drugs did not exceed 12 months； when lenalidomide was combined with isazomide citrate， the medical insurance only paid for one of the drugs. CONCLUSIONS The payment limitations of some anti- cancer drugs are inconsistent with the drug indications. The drug payment limitations should be expanded according to the actual situation of clinical medication and the recommendations of guidelines. At the same time， the payment limitations should be formulated accurately and in detail， thus clinical and medical insurance staff can understand it and fully protect the interests of patients.

Study on value-based medical insurance access and pricing methods of multi-indication drugs / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To discuss medical insurance access and pricing methods for multi-indication drugs. METHODS The access situation of multi-indication drugs in China’s medical insurance negotiation over the years was sorted out. Referring to the economic theory of value-based pricing and the relevant experience of other countries， five applicable pricing methods of 3 categories for multi-indication drug in China were summarized. Taking ceftazidime-avibactam（CAZ-AVI） as an example， cost- utility analyses were performed for different indications， and appropriate pricing methods were applied. RESULTS & CONCLUSIONS All multi-indication drugs in China adopted a single pricing method. The pricing methods that could be explored include product-based pricing， such as single pricing based on the lower-value indication or mixed/weighted single pricing； indication-based pricing， such as developing a new agreement for single pricing under different discounts and listing with different brands and pricing of the same medicine for different indications； and compensation for access restrictions. Each method has its advantages and limitations. The case of CAZ-AVI showed that it is necessary to estimate the value of each indication for multi- indication drugs， and comprehensively consider appropriate access conditions and pricing methods based on value. Although single pricing is simple to operate， it is different to reflect the value entirely. The indication-based pricing and compensation for access restrictions all depend on the information collection system and the cooperation of multiple departments. China is supposed to carry out the value-based pricing of multi-indication drugs and constantly explore reasonable access methods to improve overall social welfare.

Factors associated with work activity of technical-administrative staff from state universities retired due to disability / Factoresasociados a laactividad laboral de técnicos-administrativos de universidades estatales jubilados por invalidez / Fatores associados à atividade laboral de técnico-administrativos de universidades estaduais aposentados por invalidez

ABSTRACT Objective: To verify the factors associated with the type of work activity performed by university technical-administrative staff retired due to disability. Method: Cross-sectional research with 68 workers, conducted using an electronic questionnaire between November 2019 and September 2020. Data were collected on sociodemographic, occupational characterization and causes of disability. Data were analyzed descriptively and by multiple logistic regressions. Results: Health professionals were more likely to have mental and behavioral disorders, associated with females and regardless of age. The chances of the nervous system diseases were higher in workers who performed administrative work, being associated with higher education. Operational employees were more likely to have musculoskeletal diseases associated with primary and secondary education and were male, regardless of age. Conclusion: There was an association between work activity performed before retirement and the diseases responsible for disability, with differences between gender, age, and educational levels.

RESUMEN Objetivo: Verificar los factores asociados al tipo de trabajo desempeñado por trabajadores universitarios técnico-administrativos jubilados por invalidez. Método: Studio transversal con 68 trabajadores, realizada mediante cuestionario electrónico entre noviembre de 2019 y septiembre de 2020. Se recolectaron datos sociodemográficos, ocupacionales y causas de discapacidad. Los datos se analizaron de forma descriptiva y mediante regresiones logísticas múltiples. Resultados: Los profesionales de la salud tenían mayor probabilidad de presentar trastornos mentales y del comportamiento, asociados al sexo femenino e independientemente de la edad. Las posibilidades de enfermedades del sistema nervioso fueron mayores en los trabajadores que realizaban labores administrativas. Los servidores operativos tenían más probabilidades de tener enfermedades musculoesqueléticas asociadas a la educación primaria y secundaria y eran del sexo masculino, independientemente de la edad. Conclusión: Hubo asociación entre el trabajo realizado antes de la jubilación y las enfermedades responsables de la invalidez, con diferencias entre sexo, edad y nivel educativo.

RESUMO Objetivo: Verificar os fatores associados ao tipo de atividade laboral exercida por trabalhadores técnico-administrativos universitários aposentados por invalidez. Método: Pesquisa transversal com 68 trabalhadores, realizada por meio de questionário eletrônico entre novembro de 2019 e setembro de 2020. Foram coletados dados sobre a caracterização sociodemográfica, ocupacional e causas da invalidez. Os dados foram analisados descritivamente e por regressões logísticas múltiplas. Resultados: Os profissionais da saúde tiveram mais chances de apresentarem os transtornos mentais e comportamentais, associados ao sexo feminino e independentemente da idade. As chances de doenças do sistema nervoso foram maiores em trabalhadores que exerceram trabalho administrativo, sendo associadas ao ensino superior. Servidores operacionais apresentaram maiores chances de doenças osteomusculares associadas ao ensino fundamental e médio e ao sexo masculino, independentemente da idade. Conclusão: Houve associação da atividade laboral exercida anteriormente à aposentadoria com as doenças responsáveis pela invalidez, com diferenças entre sexo, idade e níveis educacionais.

Pertinencia y factibilidad de reforma para crear un sistema universal de salud en Chile / Relevance and feasibility of reforms to create a universal health system in Chile / Relevância e viabilidade de uma reforma para a criação de um sistema de saúde universal no Chile

RESUMEN El sistema de salud en Chile ha logrado un gran desarrollo y cobertura nacional, pero mantiene limitaciones organizacionales que hacen necesaria una reforma estructural impostergable, debido a deficiencia de recursos y desempeño, con segmentación e inequidad. El programa gubernamental 2022-2026 plantea una reforma sustancial para crear un sistema universal de salud. Existen otras propuestas de reforma elaboradas por diversos programas y comisiones gubernamentales y centros de estudio, que aportan insumos útiles para contextualizar la propuesta gubernamental. Diversos tipos de modelos coexisten en el sistema de salud, pues el seguro público es de tipo seguridad social, el sistema asistencial público provee atención gratis a los asegurados públicos, y los seguros y proveedores asistenciales privados tienen modalidad de mercado. El sistema propuesto sería de tipo de sistema nacional de salud, en el que se combinan una modalidad predominante de servicio nacional de salud (tipo Beveridge) estatal con un sistema de seguridad social (tipo Bismarck) complementario, según la necesidad de financiamiento. Bajo un enfoque de evaluación de proyectos sociales, se revisaron los criterios de pertinencia (coherencia interna y consistencia externa) y de factibilidad política y económica de los contenidos del programa gubernamental. La propuesta tiene coherencia interna, aunque una consistencia externa limitada con el sistema político y económico predominante, y escasa capacidad del Estado para aumentar el financiamiento y la cobertura de empresas públicas. El contenido de la propuesta no permite identificar que existan suficientes condiciones facilitadoras para sustentar una factibilidad política y económica razonable de aprobación legal e implementación efectiva de la reforma propuesta.

ABSTRACT The health system in Chile is well developed, with broad national coverage. However, organizational limitations necessitate urgent structural reform due to a lack of resources and poor performance, with segmentation and inequity. The government's program for 2022-2026 proposes substantial reforms aimed at creating a universal health system. Other reform proposals formulated by various government programs and commissions, as well as think tanks, provide useful inputs to contextualize the government proposal. Different types of models coexist in the health system: public insurance is based on a social security model, the public system provides free care to the insured population, and private insurance and private care providers work on a market basis. The proposed system would function on the national health system model, combining a predominant national health service (Beveridge model) with a complementary social security system (Bismarck model), depending on the need for funding. With a focus on social project evaluation, the relevance (internal coherence and external alignment) and political and economic feasibility of the contents of the government program were reviewed. The proposal has internal coherence, but limited external alignment with the prevailing political and economic system, and little State capacity to increase the financing of public enterprises and their coverage. The contents of the proposal do not show sufficient facilitating conditions to reasonably suggest political and economic feasibility in terms of legal approval and effective implementation of the proposed reform.

RESUMO O sistema de saúde do Chile alcançou grande desenvolvimento e cobertura nacional, mas continua tendo limitações organizacionais que demandam uma reforma estrutural urgente, devido à insuficiência de recursos e do desempenho, com segmentação e iniquidades. O programa do governo para o período 2022-2026 propõe uma reforma substancial com vistas a criar um sistema de saúde universal. Há outras propostas de reforma, formuladas por diversos programas e comissões governamentais e centros de estudo, que fornecem contribuições úteis para contextualizar a proposta do governo. Diferentes tipos de modelos coexistem no sistema de saúde, pois o seguro público é do tipo previdenciário, o sistema assistencial público oferece atendimento gratuito às pessoas que têm seguro público, e os planos e operadoras de assistência privada seguem uma lógica de mercado. A proposta seria um sistema nacional de saúde que combinaria um serviço nacional de saúde predominantemente estatal (modelo de Beveridge) com um sistema de seguridade social (modelo de Bismarck) complementar, conforme a necessidade de financiamento. Com base em uma abordagem de avaliação de projetos sociais, foram analisados os critérios de relevância (coerência interna e consistência externa) e de viabilidade política e econômica do conteúdo do programa do governo. A proposta tem coerência interna, mas pouca consistência externa com o sistema político e econômico predominante, e o Estado tem capacidade limitada para aumentar o financiamento e a cobertura das empresas públicas. O conteúdo da proposta não permite identificar condições facilitadoras suficientes para sustentar um nível razoável de viabilidade política e econômica da aprovação legal e implementação efetiva da reforma proposta.

Healthcare providers' satisfaction with participation in private health insurance scheme in a city in the southern Nigeria

Health insurance coverage in Nigeria is still very low as over 70% of health care expenditure is financed by out-of-pocket payment. Health care providers are critical participants in the private health insurance scheme, therefore, their perception and satisfaction with the scheme is fundamental in ensuring sustainability. This study assessed health providers' satisfaction with private health insurance scheme in Port Harcourt Rivers State.Method: A descriptive cross-sectional study which engaged a two-stage sampling method to recruit 60 participating health facilities and 180 responding health personnel by simple random sampling at each stage. A structured, pretested interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect data on the levels of satisfaction with the four major domains of satisfaction viz; billing rate, payment models, HMO administrative processes and claims management. Data was analysedusing of SPSS, version 26. Characteristics of the responding facilities were tabulated and compared. Level of satisfaction was deduced by Likert Scale according to the domains of satisfaction. Regression analysis with p-value was set at less than or equal to 0.05 was used to determine the predictors of satisfaction with participation in health insurance. The level of satisfaction with negotiated billing rates, payment models, HMO administrative processes and claims management were analyseddescriptively, and results were presented as means, standard deviation, frequencies and percentages, in tables, pie and bar charts

Determinants of enrolment in health insurance scheme among HIV patients attending a clinic in a tertiary hospital in South-eastern Nigeria

Objective: The study aimed to assess the determinants of enrolment in health insurance schemes among people living with HIV. Design: The study was a cross-sectional study. A pre-tested interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect information from 371 HIV clients attending the clinic. Chi-square statistic was used for bi-variate analysis, and analytical decisions were considered significant at a p-value less than 0.05. Logistic regression was done to determine predictors of enrolment in health insurance. Setting: The study was carried out in the HIV clinic of Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital Abakaliki, Nigeria Participants: HIV clients attending a clinic Result: Mean age of respondents was 45.4±10.3, and 51.8% were males. Almost all the respondents were Christians. Only 47.7% were married, and most lived in the urban area. Over 70% had at least secondary education, and only 34.5% were civil servants. About 60% of the respondents were enrolled in a health insurance scheme. Being single (AOR: 0.374, CI:0.204-0.688), being self-employed (AOR: 4.088, CI: 2.315-7.217), having a smaller family size (AOR: 0.124, CI: 0.067-0.228), and having the higher income (AOR: 4.142, CI: 2.07-8.286) were predictors of enrolment in a health insurance scheme. Conclusion: The study has shown that enrolment in a health insurance scheme is high among PLHIV, and being single, self-employed, having a smaller family size, and having a higher monthly income are predictors of enrolment in the health insurance scheme. Increasing the number of dependants that can be enrolled so that larger families can be motivated to enrol in health insurance is recommended

Comments on research status and future of rare diseases in China / 中国热带医学

@#Rare diseases, also known as "orphan diseases", refer to diseases with very low incidence. Countries and regions define rare diseases according to epidemiological standards, economic standards of rare drugs and disease severity. The World Health Organization (WHO) has suggested the prevalence rate of less than 6.5 to 10 per 10 000 people to define rare diseases. In May 2018, "China's First List of Rare Diseases" was released, including 121 rare diseases. Most rare diseases are hereditary diseases with early onset, severe disease, and poor prognosis. About 75% of rare genetic diseases occur in the neonatal period or childhood, which are important part of human birth defects and brings a huge burden to society and families. The effective prevention and treatment of rare diseases is one of the important goals of building a "Healthy China". With the development of molecular biology technology and the continuous research and development of advanced medical products in the field of gene therapy, the level of clinical diagnosis and treatment of rare diseases has risen to a new level, which provides a possibility for the cure of some rare diseases. In China, most rare diseases rely on imported drugs, which cost a lot and bring heavy economic burden to patients. Improving the medical insurance system for rare diseases has become a difficult point in the current medical reform. This paper mainly discusses the definition of rare diseases, the research status, efforts and future development direction of rare diseases in China, in order to deepen the understanding and response of medical workers and the whole society to rare diseases.

Analysis of medical insurance access policy for rare disease drugs in the United Kingdom and enlightenment to China / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To provide reference for the access to medical insurance for rare diseases in China based on the existing access pathway and framework by analyzing the access policy of medical insurance for rare diseases in the United Kingdom （UK）. METHODS After collecting relevant guidelines and policy documents related to drug use for rare diseases in the UK， content analysis method was used to analyze the evaluation mechanism of drug use for rare diseases， reimbursement decision- making standards， stakeholder participation， coping strategies for dealing with uncertainties and risks， and policy implementation effects， and extract the key points of medical insurance access for drug use for rare diseases in the UK， to provide some suggestions for the establishment of medical insurance access system for rare diseases in China. RESULTS & CONCLUSIONS From the perspective of access， the UK had adopted a separate approach and clear criteria to assess and reimburse drugs for rare diseases. From the perspective of evaluation mechanism， multi-stakeholders such as doctors， patients and applicants participated in the decision-making process in the UK. The UK addressed uncertainty and risk by gathering better clinical evidence and using the patient access programme. After the implementation of the policy related to drug use for rare diseases， the UK had achieved remarkable results in terms of funding for drug use for rare diseases， the reimbursement rate of drug application， and the number of funded patients. It is suggested that in the process of establishing and improving the evaluation and reimbursement system for rare diseases drugs in China， the availability of rare diseases drugs should be improved by establishing a separate access assessment path for rare diseases drugs and involving more stakeholders.

Study on French medical insurance payment policy for innovative medical products paid under DRG / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To analyze the implementation experience of France’s additional list system for innovative medical products， and to provide reference for China to support medical institutions to use innovative medical products. METHODS Taking France as a case study， using policy analysis method， this paper systematically studied the practice of establishing additional list system to compensate for innovative medical products in France under diagnosis-related group （DRG） payment， including the establishment background， selection procedure and implementation effect. The suggestions were provided on the medical insurance payment methods for innovative medical products in China. RESULTS & CONCLUSIONS The additional list system established a compensation and payment system for innovative medical products with significant clinical efficacy but high treatment cost， covering four stages： application， evaluation， payment and adjustment， which effectively reduced the drug burden on medical institutions， promoted the use of innovative pharmaceutical products by medical institutions， and stimulated the innovation drive of the pharmaceutical industry， but at the same time brought payment pressure to the medical insurance fund. With the rapid spread of our DRG/diagnosis-intervention packet payment reform of China， some regions have also explored the establishment of a compensation and payment mechanism for innovative medical products， but there are still imperfections. We can refer to the implementation experience of the French additional list system and establish an effective compensation and payment system for innovative medical products starting from the establishment of selection criteria， the selection of compensation mode and the implementation of dynamic adjustment.

Landing practices of national medical insurance negotiated drugs in tertiary medical institutions of Zhejiang province / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To provide reference for the subsequent landing of national medical insurance negotiated drugs （referred to as “national negotiated drugs”） at the provincial level. METHODS By reviewing the data publicly released by the official websites of National Healthcare Security Administration and the Healthcare Security Administration of Zhejiang Province， combined with policy documents， the descriptive analysis was conducted on the number of tertiary medical institutions， the actual allocation of national negotiated drugs， the availability rate of national negotiated drugs， the allocation rate of national negotiated drug varieties， and the allocation rate of medical institutions of various cities in Zhejiang province. The Spearman rank correlation test was used to analyze the correlation between the number of types of national negotiated drugs equipped in tertiary medical institutions in Zhejiang province and the per capita disposable income， the number of tertiary medical institutions equipped with national negotiated drugs， and the implementation time of disease diagnosis-related grouping （DRG） of various cities in Zhejiang province. RESULTS As of the first quarter of 2022， 135 tertiary medical institutions in Zhejiang province were equipped with a total of 261 types of national negotiated drugs， accounting for 94.91% of the 2021 edition of the National Negotiated Drugs Catalogue （275 types）. The allocation rates of Goserelin acetate sustained-release implant， Sacubitril valsartan sodium tablets， Alteplase for injection and other varieties were at high level， and the types of national negotiated drugs equipped were highly coincident with the top 10 causes of death with disease of urban and rural residents in Zhejiang province. The tertiary medical institutions in Hangzhou had the most types of national negotiated drugs， with 230 types， while Quzhou had the lowest， with only 34 types； allocation rate of national negotiated drugs in medical institutions of Zhoushan was the highest （100%）， while that of Lishui was the lowest （57.14%）. The types of national negotiated drugs equipped were positively correlated with per capita disposable income in various cities and the number of tertiary medical institutions equipped with national negotiated drugs （P＜0.01）， and there was no significant correlation with the length of implementation of DRG （P＞0.05）. CONCLUSIONS mail：lanyao@mails.tjmu.edu.cn The landing of national negotiated drugs in Zhejiang province is generally good， with a high rate of equipping tertiary medical institutions with national negotiated drugs and a high rate of equipping drug varieties. Therefore， it is recommended that the provincial implementation of national negotiated drugs should be multi-faceted， and policy-making departments should adopt a dual-channel of “unbundling” and “driving” to smooth the drug chain into hospitals. The health insurance sector should improve the “dual channel” management mechanism to share the pressure on hospitals to use drugs. At the same time， it should also improve the multi-level medical security system and raise the level of reimbursement of medical insurance for national negotiated drugs.

Analysis on the implementation effect of single disease payment policy for day surgery based on difference-in-differences model / 中华医院管理杂志

Objective:To analyze the implementation effect of single disease payment policy for day surgery (hereinafter referred to as the policy), for references for the reform of medical insurance payment.Methods:By collecting the information of inpatients from 2017 to 2019 in a tertiary hospital, the research group took patients with colorectal benign tumor and nodular goitre as the policy implementation group and the control group respectively. 2017-2018 was the pre implementation stage of the policy, and 2019 was the post implementation stage of the policy. The difference-in-differences (DID) model was used to analyze the changes in indicators such as length of stay and hospitalization expenses after policy implementation, under whether the policy is implemented or not, as well as before or after policy implementation.Results:A total of 2 419 patients were included, including 927 patients with nodular goiter in the control group and 1 492 patients with colorectal benign tumors in the policy implementation group (688 patients before the policy implementation and 804 patients after the policy implementation). The results of DID showed that the hospital days for patients with colorectal benign tumor decreased by 56.53%, the hospitalization expenses decreased by 26.51%, the out-of-pocket expenses decreased by 26.66%, the treatment expenses increased by 11.96%, the drug expenses decreased by 50.29% and the consumables expenses decreased by 20.23% after the implementation of the policy.Conclusions:The implementation of the policy could reduce length of stay, hospitalization expenses and out-of-pocket expenses, optimize the structure of hospitalization expenses, improve the efficiency of hospital diagnosis and treatment, and help the hospital realize its transformation from a size expansion to a quality and benefit expansion.