Implementing the universal health insurance law of Egypt: what are the key issues on strategic purchasing and its governance arrangements?

Overview

The new universal health insurance law of Egypt puts the country on the road towards progressive realization of universal health coverage. Health purchasing arrangements are critical to the implementation process, since they determine decisions on which services to purchase, how to purchase, and from which providers.

This document provides a detailed assessment of the purchasing function and its governance arrangements and serves to inform the implementation process of the universal health insurance law in Egypt by anticipating the strengths and challenges as well as providing options to support a shift towards more strategic purchasing.

The document proposes high-level action points to facilitate the implementation of the UHI law; specific action points on the main strategic purchasing areas e.g., benefit design operationalization, provider payment methods, information management systems and related governance arrangements, as well as specific options on a number of additional technical aspects.