13-May-15 Taiwan's National Health Insurance (NHI) system is renowned for providing easy access to high-quality medical services. Over 99% of the population is enrolled in the single-payer NHI, and 93% of healthcare providers participate. The success of the system was not achieved overnight - development has been ongoing since 1995, and key success factors include special financing and adoption of technology. [image: Wikimedia Commons / Solomon203]

12-May-15 India's government has come up with a scheme that will offer free diagnostic tests to people visiting public health centers. Under the scheme, private health service providers will collect blood samples, conduct analysis and provide reporting in locations where public infrastructure is lacking. CT scan services will also be developed at district level under public-private partnership. [image: Newsgram]

05-May-15 Indonesia's president Widodo has said that all private hospitals will be required to serve residents holding national health cards in the future, adding that their licenses will be revoked should they not comply. Under the management of the Health Care & Social Security Agency, the health card programme is intended to unify health insurance for all citizens. [image: AFP]

30-Apr-15 Surgical procedures could cost twice as much depending on which public hospital you attend. That is the finding of a new report by the independent agency monitoring the health system after it studied costs at more than 80 of the nation's largest public hospitals. [image: The Courier Mail]

31-Mar-15 One out of five patients in Malaysia's private hospitals is expected to turn to the overburdened public healthcare system after a new Goods & Services Tax (GST) is implemented on 1-Apr-15. The Malaysian Medical Association stressed that the shift is expected to be a temporary one lasting three to four months, pending medical insurance top-ups. [image: Saw Siow Feng / Malay Mail Online]