This
Paper
aims
to
outline
Jamaica’s
health
financing
system
by
describing
how
it
carries
out
the
various
functions
to
achieve
its
objectives
and
determine
whether
achievements
have
had
any
impact
on
the
performance
of
the
general
health
system.
The
Study
is
based
on
a
desk
review
of
policy
and
budgetary
documents
and
augmented
with
personal
experience
of
the
Jamaican
health
sector.
Results
show
that
the
Jamaica’s
health
financing
system
carries
out
its
functions
primarily
through
the
Ministry
of
Health.
Revenue
collection
mainly
occurs
domestically
via
general
and
ear
marked
taxes.
Pooling
arrangements
within
the
context
of
national
funds
tend
to
focus
on
drug
provision.
Government
purchasing
is
mainly
passive.
The
financing
system
appears
to
have
contributed
to
an
improvement
in
the
health
status
of
the
population
by
prioritizing
the
main
health
problems
and
granting
universal
access
to
public
health
facilities,
however,
pooling
strategies
seem
to
have
led
to
demand
-
side
misuse
that
highlight
and
perpetuate
supply
-
side
constraints.
Recommendations
made
include
pooling
out
-
of
-
pocket
private
expenditure
to
stimulate
a
social
health
insurance
scheme,
using
already
existing
Global
Fund
amenities
and
expanding
access
to
local
resources
such
as
the
National
Health
Fund.
Strategies
discussed
to
improve
performance
are
gate
keeping,
integration
of
financing
strategies
to
remove
duplication,
and
further
inclusion
of
the
private
sector
through
contracting.