Summary

Program goals

To enable efficient, timely and well targeted cash transfers to protect the poor against catastrophic spending on health.  

Key program components

This website, is integrated with a custom-made technology platform that enables processing of requests, received through registered service requesters. Heartfile (the clearing house) will then ascertain eligibility, verify requests and subsequently authorize cash transfers to underwrite the cost of healthcare. The pilot is envisaged to enable efficient, timely and well targeted cash transfers to protect the poor against catastrophic spending on health and has the potential to limit abuse. In addition, a seed "Health Equity Fund" has also been established as a means of resourcing cash transfers.

The Innovation:

This system has been designed to eliminate duplication and abuse; additionally, it reduces opportunities for patronage because of the reliance on multiple checks to ascertain eligibility as opposed to reliance on one criterion, as is currently being done in the country’s social protection system. In comparison with other social protection systems established by the private sector in the country, this system will provide better visibility to donors. It has been configured to ensure that donors have the ability to view the use of their funds on a transaction basis and have the ability to instruct demand-specific use of their funds. The system also enables donors to have full view of the administrative costs incurred and above a certain category, enables them to request for audit of any transaction or demand processing. As such therefore, this platform is unique even by international standards and offers unprecedented advantages. The pilot has been launched on March 29, 2010 at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences. Assistance will be made available to deserving patients in Cardiology and Orthopedic wards through the program's Health Equity Fund.