Reimbursement and payment models in Central and Eastern European as well as Middle Eastern countries: A survey of their current use and future outlook

There is growing interest in innovative reimbursement and payment models in Central and Eastern European (CEE) and Middle Eastern (ME) countries. A questionnaire was sent to payers from CEE and ME countries regarding the current use of, future preferences for and perceived barriers with these models. Twenty-seven healthcare payers from 11 countries completed the survey. Results showed participants preferred using outcome-based reimbursement models and delayed payment models more often; however, currently they are rarely applied. Barriers hindering implementation were mostly related to IT and data infrastructure, measurement issues, transaction costs and the administrative burden. Given these barriers highlighted in our study, policymakers should focus on the development of an implementation framework with contract templates for the preferred reimbursement and payment schemes to aid the feasibility of a successful implementation.

Automated summary

There is increasing interest in innovative reimbursement and payment models in Central and Eastern European (CEE) and Middle Eastern (ME) countries. A survey was conducted with payers from 11 countries in these regions to assess the current usage, future preferences, and barriers faced with these models. The results showed a preference for outcome-based reimbursement models and delayed payment models, although their current usage is limited. The barriers to implementation were mainly related to IT and data infrastructure, measurement issues, transaction costs, and administrative burden. Policymakers should focus on developing an implementation framework and contract templates to facilitate the successful adoption of preferred reimbursement and payment schemes.