User Fee Removal
Without fees at the health centers, patients no longer need to choose between essential healthcare services or day-to-day living expenses. Removing financial barriers is one step towards achieving health for all.
User Fee Removal Eliminates Barriers to Care
Research shows that even very small fees sharply limit access to healthcare. The pay-for-service nature of healthcare systems creates a vicious cycle where low utilization rates leave the health center with little investments while the community receives little care. By removing financial barriers, specifically costs at the point-of-care, use of lifesaving healthcare services increases dramatically. Health centers see more patients, and patients get the care they need. Over the long term, these changes shift the entire culture around health.
The Impact of User Fee Removal
Eliminating user fees allows patients to seek healthcare when they need it.
Meet Alazar
Alazar, a farmer, had to use all of his profits from farming to pay for costs associated with seeking healthcare for his four children. The arrival of the Integrated Primary Care Program was a turning point for Alazar, because without user fees, he was able to grow his maize, earn an income, and seek healthcare for his family.
Integration Is the Key to Success.
Read about the Integrated Primary Care Program and all of the components that create a strengthened health system.