| Title: |
Financing Health Care: Concepts, Challenges and Practices |
| Keywords: |
Universal health coverage
Health systems
Health economics
Health Policy
Financing
Equity
|
| Country: |
Germany
|
| Institution: |
Germany - Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, University of Heidelberg
|
| Course coordinator: |
Dr. Stephan Brenner
Dr. Manuela de Allegri
|
| Date start: |
2025-04-28 |
| Date end: |
2025-05-09 |
| About duration and dates: |
2 weeks |
| Classification: |
advanced optional
|
| Mode of delivery: |
Face to face
|
Course location:
Institute of Public Health
Im Neuenheimer Feld 365, Room 007
D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany |
|
| ECTS credit points: |
3 ECTS credits
|
SIT:
90 hours
90 SIT (76 SIT contact time, 14 SIT self study) |
|
| Language: |
English
|
Description:
By the end of this course participants will be able to:
• Recognise the positive and normative foundations of health
care financing, with specific reference to the discourse on
health systems reform, universal health coverage and equity
• Differentiate health financing functions and models in any
given health system context.
• Compare and analyse the basic features of health care
financing mechanisms in high-, middle-, and low-income
countries, including situations pertaining to migrant and refugee
crises
• Critically appraise the roles of the public and private sector in
health care financing in different contexts
• Differentiate the tools used in the development and
assessment of financing mechanisms and evaluate their
strengths and weaknesses
• Compare and appraise the value of alternative viable health
financing options to answer health system challenges in their
respective countries |
|
Assessment Procedures:
Course participants are expected to attend teaching sessions
full-time, participate regularly in discussions and group work.
Participants will also be assessed on:
1. 50%: Group work on selected country case studies and
presentation:
4-5 small groups (3-5 students) each select a country case of
interest at beginning of course to critically analyse along a set
of criteria pertaining to health care financing (health system
indicators, health financing functions, UHC attainment, policy
environment) to then formulate suggestions for further health
financing reform in the given country context. A total of 8 hours
of study time are allocated to group work preparation
throughout the course. Group work presentations (15 min) and
group-led plenary discussion (15 min) at end of course graded
by course coordinators along pre-determined criteria (clarity in
terms of outline, structure, timing; width of content in terms of
comprehensiveness; depth of content in terms of relevant detail
and motivation of recommendations). Each student per group
will receive the grade given to the entire group performance.
2. 50% written exam, short fact and essay questions: Students
will select three out of 6-8 essay questions related to health
care financing topics discussed and presented during the
course. Each essay question can and is to be answered within
one page of text. Grades by course coordinators are given
based on content and logic of essays.
Re-sit policy: Participants who fail to reach the passing grade of
60% (average from both assessments) will undergo an oral
exam (20 min) covering health care financing topics discussed
during the course. The assessment will be via an open book
exam online. |
|
Content:
• Health economics theory relevant to health financing
• The role of health financing in a health system
• Basic health financing functions (collection, pooling,
purchasing)
• Historical development in health financing in low- and
middle-income countries: from free health care to user fees to
social health protection
• Concept and practice of Universal Health Coverage – health
financing and equity considerations
Universal Health Coverage and the Migration/Refugee Crisis
• Health insurance development in high and low middle-income
countries: micro-health insurance, tax-based insurance, social
health insurance
• Innovative purchasing options in the health sector: from
passive to strategic purchasing |
|
Methods:
This course combines interactive lectures (50%), facilitated
group work (35%), and self-study (15%) to expose participants
to both theory and practice of health care financing. Group
work comprises structured exercises set around specific case
studies and participant-initiated reflections on the peculiarities
of health care financing in their country of origin. |
|
Prerequisites:
English Toefl: Computer based >237; Paper based >580;
Internet based >90; IELTS > 6.5. (Or as requested at respective
English taught home institute = tropEd enrolment sufficient) |
|
Attendance:
30 maximum, no limitation for troped students |
|
Selection:
First come, first served |
|
Fees:
Participants enrolled in the tropEd program will pay € 1.250 , others pay € 1.750 |
|
Scholarships:
None available |
|
Major changes since initial accreditation:
Another Coordinator, Swati Srivastava, joined.
Considering feedback by participants, the course assessment
method was adjusted – now equal weight is put to case study
group work and presentation as for exam.
With regard to the course content, an explicit element on
migrant and refugee health was added.
d. |
|
Student evaluation:
The course always received very positive participant feedback
Students requested the assessment from group work to
contribute more to the final course grade |
|
Lessons learned:
Weight of individual assessment should take into consideration
the time and effort invested by students. |
|
tropEd accreditation:
Accredited in Copenhagen 2003. Re-accredited in Paris, May 2008, in Lisbon, May 2012 and in Antwerp October 2017.Re-accredited Feb GA 2022 (valid until Feb 2027). |
|
| Email Address: |
anne-kathrin.fabricius@uni-heidelberg.de |
| Date Of Record Creation: |
2012-01-09 23:26:12 (W3C-DTF) |
| Date Of Record Release: |
2012-01-10 05:40:19 (W3C-DTF) |
| Date Record Checked: |
2022-05-13 (W3C-DTF) |
| Date Last Modified: |
2024-10-16 07:33:15 (W3C-DTF) |
