Research: Universal Health Coverage Study Series
World Bank
February 2013
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/TOPICS/EXTHEALTHNUTRITIONANDPOPULATION/0,,contentMDK:23352920~pagePK:210058~piPK:210062~theSitePK:282511,00.html

From media release
As a growing number of countries tackle the fiscal challenge of providing universal health coverage (UHC) for their citizens, today the World Bank released a set of 22 case studies of countries that have significantly expanded access to health care in the last decade, with the aim of helping countries make more informed health policy and program choices.

Researchers looked systematically at countries’ experiences with a set of parameters related to achieving UHC, including designing and managing benefits packages, expanding coverage to the poorest and excluded populations, providing quality care, and health financing. The 22 countries studied included Argentina, Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, Georgia, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Jamaica, Kenya, Kyrgyz Republic, Mexico, Nigeria, Peru, Philippines, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey and Vietnam. The Bank also released an analysis of the impact of UHC efforts in the developing world.

The studies show that although approaches to UHC vary, four-fifths or more of the countries share common implementation instruments. These include: an explicitly defined benefits package, expansion of coverage financed by general taxation, enrollment requirements, and reform of public provision of health services, all backed by strong political support. Also notable was that less than half of the countries studied had systems in place to monitor improvements in people’s health.

Lessons across the studies point to the need to ensure that the implementation of UHC is equitable, efficient, and sustainable—which requires the use of many instruments that strengthen the accountability of all parties in the health sector. The case studies find that countries seek to strengthen accountability by:

UNICO Studies Series 25
The Impact of Universal Coverage Schemes in the Developing World: A Review of the Existing Evidence
Ursula Giedion, Eduardo Andrés Alfonso, Yadira Díaz
The World Bank, Washington DC, January 2013
http://siteresources.worldbank.org/HEALTHNUTRITIONANDPOPULATION/Images/IMPACTofUHCSchemesinDevelopingCountries-AReviewofExistingEvidence.pdf