Privatization is often one of the key elements associated with health sector reform (HSR) policies and has been described as the process by which non-government actors become increasingly involved in the financing, delivery, and provision of healthcare services. In many countries, there is now substantial private-sector activity in healthcare provision. In many settings, people must pay for their own healthcare. This means that people with low incomes are often unable to afford the healthcare they need. To solve this problem, some governments also rely on private health insurance companies to provide people with the health care they need. Membership in a private health insurance scheme is paid directly by individuals themselves or by their employers. Private health insurance companies sometimes run for profit and are sometimes non-profit. However, most companies are likely to prefer members who are young and healthy, as they need less health care. Governments, therefore, try to regulate these companies to ensure that anyone can join and that the healthcare offered is of good quality and is not abused by the Medical Health Insurance companies and institutional health fund administrators.
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