FOREWARD: This important manual represents the deep commitment of participating countries to provide quality, affordable health care to their populations through universal health coverage (UHC). It came about through the collective efforts of a highly motivated group of participants in the Joint Learning Network for Universal Health Coverage (JLN), which the Rockefeller Foundation has been proud to help organize and support since its beginnings in 2009. The JLN is part of the Rockefeller Foundation’s initiative to work with countries and global health leaders to achieve UHC. As this practical manual demonstrates, the JLN brings together an innovative community of practitioners and policymakers from low- and middle-income countries to share knowledge and learning, and to undertake joint problem solving to advance UHC. We believe that this publication is an excellent example of that effort.

PREFACE: The Joint Learning Network for Universal Health Coverage has hosted a Collaborative on Costing of Health Services for Provider Payment (JLN Costing Collaborative) since 2012 to provide an opportunity for countries to share experiences and solve common challenges related to costing for provider payment. Initially a modest endeavor, the forum led countries to identify a need for a resource that would bridge theory and practical experience in using costing for provider payment policy and rate setting.
To address this knowledge gap, the JLN Costing Collaborative convened a group of JLN country costing experts and international facilitators to synthesize the rich experience of JLN member countries and jointly develop a manual to document the main costing methodologies, share examples of tools and templates, and use case examples to illustrate costing efforts in low- and middle-income countries.