Before you play

What This Pocket Figure Means

This game compares out-of-pocket spending as a share of current health expenditure.

  • Higher values mean households pay more directly at the point of care rather than through pooled financing.
  • It is not the same as total spending on health.
  • A health system can be modern on paper while still reaching for the patient's wallet first.

When care is cash-heavy, illness turns into a payment plan.