Opinion

Nisreen Qatamish: From Reaction to Resilience – Rethinking Healthcare Financing in Jordan

Photo from Nisreen Qatamish/LinkedIn

May 5, 2025, 04:31

Nisreen Qatamish: From Reaction to Resilience – Rethinking Healthcare Financing in Jordan

Nisreen Qatamish, CEO of King Hussein Cancer Foundation and Center, shared a post on LinkedIn:

“From Reaction to Resilience: Rethinking Healthcare Financing in Jordan

I came across a interesting graph that shows Jordan’s total health spending from 2010 to 2030.

The pattern is clear:

Total spending has steadily increased, and is projected to continue rising — a sign of growing national commitment to health, but also a reminder of the mounting pressure on our current financing model.
Despite this growth, out-of-pocket spending still accounts for nearly 1 in 4 dinars spent on health — placing an unsustainable burden on families, especially the most vulnerable.
Government remains the primary funder, but this centralized model is under fiscal strain and lacks the agility to keep up with rising demand and costs.
Development assistance, while critical during crises, is neither predictable nor sufficient to guarantee long-term equity.

It’s time for a shift:

From patchwork responses to a comprehensive, social insurance-based model.

From spending after the fact to proactively protecting vulnerable populations before crisis hits.

We need to diversify our health financing to:

Reduce catastrophic out-of-pocket costs
Pool risk across the population
Ensure long-term sustainability of care
Promote equity for refugees, low-income households, and the chronically ill

Social health insurance isn’t just a financing tool — it’s a promise to protect people before they need saving.

At KHCF and KHCC, we continue to ask: How can we lead in this transformation?

Cancer care is a prime example of why this shift is urgent. Families facing a life-threatening diagnosis cannot wait for fragmented funding or delayed coverage. They need protection, access, and dignity from day one.

That’s why we established the Cancer Care Insurance Program — a social, participatory insurance model. It’s a bold first step toward building a more resilient, equitable, and sustainable health system for all.”

Nisreen Qatamish: From Reaction to Resilience - Rethinking Healthcare Financing in Jordan