title: State budget transfers to Health Insurance Funds for universal health coverage: institutional design patterns and challenges of covering those outside the formal sector in Eastern European high-income countries.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Many countries from the European region, which moved from a government financed and provided health system to social health insurance, would have had the risk of moving away from universal health coverage if they had followed a "traditional" approach. The Eastern European high-income countries studied in this paper managed to avoid this potential pitfall by using state budget revenues to explicitly pay health insurance contributions on behalf of certain (vulnerable) population groups who have difficulties to pay these contributions themselves. The institutional design aspects of their government revenue transfer arrangements are analysed, as well as their impact on universal health coverage progress.
  
  
  METHODS
  This regional study is based on literature review and review of databases for the performance assessment. The analytical framework focuses on the following institutional design features: rules on eligibility for contribution exemption, financing and pooling arrangements, and purchasing arrangements and benefit package design.
  
  
  RESULTS
  More commonalities than differences can be identified across countries: a broad range of groups eligible for exemption from payment of health insurance contributions, full state contributions on behalf of the exempted groups, mostly mandatory participation, integrated pools for both the exempted and contributors, and relatively comprehensive benefit packages. In terms of performance, all countries have high total population coverage rates, but there are still challenges regarding financial protection and access to and utilization of health care services, especially for low income people.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Overall, government revenue transfer arrangements to exempt vulnerable groups from contributions are one option to progress towards universal health coverage.
authors.affiliation: Consultant with the World Health Organization from October 2014 to December 2015, Avenue Appia, 1211, Geneva, Switzerland. ileana.vilcu89@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Ileana
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Vilcu
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Systems Governance and Financing, World Health Organization, Avenue Appia, 1211, Geneva, Switzerland. mathaueri@who.int.
authors.forename: Inke
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mathauer
mesh_terms: D019049:Developed Countries / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005061:Europe, Eastern; D018166:Health Care Reform / Q000191:economics* / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005102:Health Expenditures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006296:Health Services / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007348:Insurance, Health / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009313:National Health Programs / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019472:Universal Health Insurance / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*