KOFIH ETH to KOFIH Headquarters

The Ethiopian Health Insurance Service (EHIS) Technical Working Group (TWG) meeting was held in Adama on January 3rd, 2024. The TWG discussed inpatient payment mechanism design with focus on hospital tier and case mix pilot hospital selection. They agreed that review of relevant international experiences is needed. Members have planned to hold discussions ahead of the January 11th inception workshop.

From EHIS/MOH to KOFIH ETH

The Ethiopian Health Insurance Service (EHIS) Technical Working Group (TWG) meeting was held on January 3rd, 2024, in Adama. The TWG discussion advanced the hospital inpatient service case-based payment mechanism project and established a common understanding of the proposed approach. Two key considerations for pilot hospital selection were selected. This includes the hospital tier and case mix. The members agreed to undertake a feasibility study to review existing payment data to inform the pilot design and selection. The TWG shared international experiences; provided further technical discussions, for the inception workshop to be held on January 11th.

1. EHIS/MOH partner

2. Internal Supervisor

3. Donor HQ

4. EHIS is discussing solutions to restore alignment with plans.

5. The tone that we would use when writing internal reports such as the duty trip reports used as examples in this training is straightforward and delivers the point quickly. On the other hand, external communication, like request letters, needs background context, is strategic, and has a relationship-building tone.

Hands on hand Exercise -Writing full report  

Quarterly Progress Update

Health Insurance Cooperation and Policy Consultation Project (2023–2027)

Purpose

This report provides KOFIH Headquarters with a quarterly update on the implementation of the Health Insurance Cooperation and Policy Consultation Project (2023–2027). It summarizes key activities completed during the reporting period, highlights implementation progress, and seeks approval for a schedule adjustment to support the successful completion of the inception phase.

Progress Update

The project made steady progress during the reporting period. The EHIS Technical Working Group (TWG) met three times to advance the development of the case-based payment mechanism for hospital inpatient services. During these meetings, members reviewed technical priorities, discussed implementation approaches, and agreed on the next steps for the pilot phase.

The project also launched a feasibility study at two pilot hospitals. The study will assess the hospitals' current payment systems, identify operational requirements, and generate evidence to support the design and implementation of the case-based payment mechanism.

The Inception Workshop, originally scheduled for 11 January, was rescheduled to February because key EHIS staff were unavailable during the planned period. The project team coordinated with EHIS to revise the schedule and ensure the participation of relevant stakeholders. Although the adjustment delayed the start of the inception phase, it did not affect the project's overall objectives or expected outputs.

Discussion

The project continued to progress despite the revised workshop schedule. The three Technical Working Group meetings-maintained momentum for the design of the case-based payment mechanism, while the feasibility study established an evidence base for the pilot implementation. Rescheduling the Inception Workshop will allow broader stakeholder participation and strengthen the quality of project implementation.

Recommendation

To align the implementation schedule with the revised workshop date and complete the remaining inception activities without compromising quality, the project team recommends that KOFIH Headquarters approve a two-week extension of the inception phase.

Module 5: Hands-on Exercise: Changing the tone of a paragraph

From KOFIH Eth to KOFIH HQ: Internal, direct, bottom line

​On January 3, 2024, the Ethiopian Health Insurance Services (EHIS) Technical Working Group (TWG) met in Adama and reviewed progress on the Hospital Inpatient Service Case-based Payment Mechanism project. While some outpatient payment models are already piloted, they noted that design work is still needed for the inpatient models. The design work would include accounting for hospital tier structure and case variety when selecting pilot hospitals, conducting a feasibility study, and reviewing hospitals’ current payment data. They agreed to brainstorm and continue reviewing other countries’ literature before the January 11 Inception workshop.

From EHIS to KOFIH Eth: Donor tone  

​Supported by the Korea Foundation for International Healthcare (KOFIH), the January 3, 2024, Ethiopian Health Insurance Services (EHIS) Technical Working Group (TWG) meeting held in Adama marked progress in the design of the Hospital Inpatient Service Case-Based Payment Mechanism. The team is designing an inpatient system by building on the knowledge of previous outpatient pilots in capitation and performance-based funding. Through discussions, three actionable steps forward were noted: firstly, the TWG noted that a hospital-tier structure with case variety is necessary to ensure long-term system impact; secondly, that a feasibility study and thorough review of direct payment data are needed to ensure efficient project resource allocation; and lastly, that the group should conduct multi-country technical literature reviews and brainstorming sessions ahead of the landmark January 11 Inception Workshop.

Module 5: Practice: Short Answers​

• Match each excerpt to its most likely audience (Internal supervisor / EHIS-MOH partner / Donor-HQ):
• • “We appreciate EHIS’s continued partnership and look forward to the next phase.” → EHIS-MOH Partner
• • “Quick update: TWG went fine, feasibility study is the blocker, flagging for your awareness.” → Internal supervisor
• • “This investment continues to demonstrate measurable progress toward UHC expansion in Ethiopia.” → Donor-HQ
• Rewrite for a government partner audience (more formal/diplomatic): “The project is behind schedule and it’s on EHIS to fix it.”

​​Delays have occurred, and EHIS will take measures to ensure a return to the planned schedule.

• Short answer: name one KOFIH report you write regularly, and describe how its tone should differ depending on whether it goes to your supervisor or to an external partner.

​Duty trip reports are a good example of reports intended for internal communication alone. They are familiarly structured and have minimal flair, focusing mostly on getting the point across. In contrast, we frequently write request letters to partners, and their tone differs significantly in that they include a lot of background information, conveying a tone of recognition of partners’ effort and an interest in continued collaboration.