Financial protection in health is one of two dimensions of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) which is defined as all people being able to access the health services they need without facing financial hardship. As Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) indicator 3.8.2, financial protection forms part of SDG Target 3.8 (UHC) and directly relates to SDG 3 (Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages) and SDG 1 (End poverty in all its forms everywhere). As a component of UHC, it is key to improving the well-being of a country’s population, an investment in human capital and a foundational driver of inclusive and sustainable economic growth and development.
Proportion of population pushed or further pushed below the $3.65 ($ 2017 PPP) poverty line by out-of-pocket health care expenditure (%)
This indicator shows the fraction of a country's population who is either (1) living in households whose non-health expenditures are already below the $3.65 poverty line and who as a result are pushed further into poverty by their out-of-pocket health spending or (2) live in households whose total expenditures are above the $3.65 poverty line but fall below the $3.65 poverty line when out-of-pocket health spending is subtracted from total expenditure. Out-of-pocket health expenditure is defined as any spending incurred by a household when any member uses a health good or service to receive any type of care (preventive, curative, rehabilitative, long-term or palliative care); provided by any type of provider; for any type of disease, illness or health condition; in any type of setting (outpatient, inpatient, at home).
Out-of-pocket payments are those made by people at the time of getting any type of service (preventive, curative, rehabilitative, palliative or long-term care) provided by any type of provider. They include cost-sharing (the part not covered by a third party like an insurer) and informal payments, but they exclude insurance premiums. Out-of-pocket payments exclude any reimbursement by a third party, such as the government, a health insurance fund or a private insurance company. Out-of-pocket payments are defined as catastrophic at the 10% (25%) threshold when they represent 10% (25%) or more of household total consumption or income. They are defined as impoverishing if they push household consumption or income below the $2.15 or $3.65 ($ 2017 PPP) per day poverty lines or the relative poverty line of 60% of median consumption, or if they are incurred by households already living under the $2.15 or $3.65 ($ 2017 PPP) per day poverty lines or the relative poverty line of 60% of median consumption.
Impoverishing or further impoverishing health spending, 3.65$ (%)