Reform towards National Health Insurance in Malaysia: The equity implications

Yu, Chai Ping, Whynes, David K. and Sach, Tracey H. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8098-9220 (2011) Reform towards National Health Insurance in Malaysia: The equity implications. Health Policy, 100 (2-3). pp. 256-263. ISSN 0168-8510

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Abstract

OBJECTIVE: This paper assesses the potential equity impact of Malaysia's projected reform of its current tax financed system towards National Health Insurance (NHI). METHODS: The Kakwani's progressivity index was used to assess the equity consequences of the new NHI system (with flat rate NHI scheme) compared to the current tax financed system. It was also used to model a proposed system (with a progressive NHI scheme) that can generate the same amount of funding more equitably. RESULTS: The new NHI system would be less equitable than the current tax financed system, as evident from the reduction of Kakwani's index to 0.168 from 0.217. The new flat rate NHI scheme, if implemented, would reduce the progressivity of the health finance system because it is a less progressive finance source than that of general government revenue. We proposed a system with a progressive NHI scheme that generates the same amount of funding whilst preserving the equity at the Kakwani's progressivity index of 0.213. CONCLUSIONS: A NHI system with a progressive NHI scheme is proposed to be implemented to raise health funding whilst preserving the equity in health care financing.

Item Type: Article
Faculty \ School: Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Norwich Medical School
UEA Research Groups: Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Groups > Public Health and Health Services Research
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Groups > Norwich Clinical Trials Unit
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Groups > Health Economics
Depositing User: Val Knights
Date Deposited: 09 May 2011 08:09
Last Modified: 11 Aug 2023 16:30
URI: https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/24523
DOI: 10.1016/j.healthpol.2010.10.018

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