Seeking Universal Health Coverage of Social Health Insurance in Three Asian Countries: China, Thailand, and Viet Nam

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This Policy Note summarizes the lessons from social health insurance experiences in China, Thailand, and Viet Nam. It finds, among others, that all three countries have faced distinct challenges, such as lingering and worsening out-of-pocket expenses of the poor and near poor, toward the achievement of their universal health coverage (UHC). This fact echoes the need for the Philippines to craft policies on the UHC based on actual conditions, such as political and structural issues. It also calls for the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation to keep to its true mandate of providing health insurance to all segments of the population to ensure affordable and accessible health-care services for all.