About policy reforms:
https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2022/04/28/hhs-announces-new-policy-make-coverage-more-accessible-affordable-for-millions-americans-in-2023.html
https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/issue-briefs/2022/sep/next-steps-expanding-health-coverage-affordability
https://www.who.int/activities/implementing-health-financing-reform
https://equityhealthj.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12939-016-0335-7
Financial burdens significantly disrupt healthcare accessibility, creating disparities in patient health outcomes. Policy reforms are essential to address these challenges and ensure equitable healthcare access. For instance, recent healthcare policy initiatives, such as the ones introduced by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), aim to make health insurance more affordable and comprehensive by standardizing plan options and enhancing network adequacy requirements. These changes are designed to simplify the consumer experience and ensure access to necessary services without excessive out-of-pocket costs (HHS.gov) (Home).
Additionally, the World Health Organization (WHO) emphasizes the importance of health financing reforms in achieving universal health coverage (UHC). Effective health financing strategies must be tailored to the unique contexts of individual countries to address spe
cific performance problems. WHO supports countries by providing technical assistance and promoting best practices in budgeting and public financial management to align with health financing systems (World Health Organization (WHO)).
Moreover, social policies can play a crucial role in improving financial accessibility to healthcare. Studies highlight that reducing private expenditures and user fees, which disproportionately affect low-income households, can significantly enhance healthcare accessibility. Policies that provide exemptions or fee reductions for vulnerable groups, such as children, pregnant women, and low-income individuals, are particularly effective in mitigating the financial barriers to healthcare (BioMed Central).
In summary, policy reforms that focus on expanding insurance coverage, restructuring health financing, and implementing social protection measures are vital to overcoming the financial barriers that disrupt healthcare accessibility and create health disparities. These reforms not only improve health outcomes but also promote equity and fairness in the healthcare system.
About Redirection of financing systems:
https://www.ahrq.gov/research/findings/nhqrdr/nhqdr22/index.html
Bodenheimer, T., & Grumbach, K. (2020). Understanding Health Policy: A Clinical Approach, Eighth Edition. McGraw Hill.