Evidence indicates that both vouchers and contracting can improve health service outcomes in underserved areas.
Additional published and grey literature on vouchers and contracting as mechanisms to engage the private sector was used to supplement the conclusions from systematic reviews.
A study by the center, which examined issues affecting low income families, found only about 2.4 million of the 15.7 million children eligible for subsidies for care were receiving them, whether through vouchers or contracted child care slots.
The first phase of the voucher project will contract approximately 110 health centers in three operational districts of Kampong Thom province (Kampong Thom, Staung and Baray Santuk), three operational districts of Kampot province (Kampong Tralach, Angkor Chey and Chhouk) and three operational districts of Prey Veng province (Pearaing, Preah Sdach and Kampong Trabek).
Can we not have a debate about school funding, vouchers, our social contract, and the public trust without this sophomoric name-calling?
Locally contracted voucher distributors identify eligible women in the community, provide them with information on the importance of safe motherhood services and sell vouchers to clients at a heavily subsidised price of 200 Yemeni rials (less than one US dollar).
A national NGO, Yamaan Foundation, acts as the voucher management agency, contracting a range of providers from hospitals to rural health units and independent community midwives; around a quarter of these are private sector providers.
As a managing agent, the VMA is responsible for printing and distributing the vouchers, often employing or contracting local voucher distributors who visit communities, counsel potential clients and hand out the vouchers.
Direct purchase-of-service contracts or voucher programs, by subsidizing only those providers that satisfy state regulatory requirements, effectively lower the implicit price of regulated attributes, such as staff-to-child ratio.
NCAPD chaired essential organs of implementation and was instrumental in making decisions on design and management including contracting the voucher management agency.
