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)