Title: Could the employment-based targeting approach serve Egypt in moving towards a social health insurance model?
Authors: Shawky, S.
Abstract: The current health insurance system in Egypt targets the productive population through an employment-based scheme bounded by a cost ceiling and focusing on curative care. Egypt Social Contract Survey data from 2005 were used to evaluate the impact of the employment-based scheme on health system accessibility and financing. Only 22.8% of the population in the productive age range (19-59 years) benefited from any health insurance scheme. The employment-based scheme covered 39.3% of the working population and was skewed towards urban areas, older people, females and the wealthier. It did not increase service utilization, but reduced out-of-pocket expenditure. Egypt should blend all health insurance schemes and adopt an innovative approach to reach universal coverage.
Subjects: EGYPT; EMPLOYER-sponsored health insurance; MEDICAL care financing; HEALTH services accessibility; NATIONAL health insurance
Publication: Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal, 2010, Vol 16, Issue 6, p663
ISSN: 1020-3397
Publication type: Academic Journal
DOI: 10.26719/2010.16.6.663

Could the employment-based targeting approach serve Egypt in moving towards a social health insurance model?

Shawky, S.