Situation
While Egypt’s economy continues to grow, the cost of quality healthcare remains a significant challenge for many Egyptians. More than 60% of the country’s total healthcare expenditure (THE) is paid Out-of-Pocket (OOP) by patients. For many, this means paying for treatment themselves – an overwhelming burden for those already facing financial constraints. Significant OOP healthcare costs not only threaten the economic viability and long-term sustainability of households, but they can also result in patients not being able to start or complete their prescribed treatment course in a timely manner. This issue is particularly important for chronic diseases where continuity of care is critical.
Axios currently manages several Patient Assistance Programs (PAPs) in Egypt, providing financial support to help patients cover the cost of their full course of treatment. This support is tailored to each patient’s financial capacity, determined through Axios’ proprietary, validated Patient Financial Evaluation Tool (PFET).
Real-world insights gathered via PFET revealed that many patients already receiving financial assistance via the PAP were still facing delays in accessing treatment due to cash flow challenges. In fact, 40% of patients were delaying or discontinuing treatment because they lacked the immediate funds to start their medications, or pay for it at set intervals, even though they could afford to pay overtime. This delay impacted their timely access to care. In response, Axios developed a complementary solution to ensure patients could receive timely, uninterrupted treatment.
Solution
Time was a critical factor as the cash flow challenge described above adversely affected patients’ overall health and medical outcomes. As a result, to optimize the PAPs, Axios introduced a new value-added service called ‘On-Time Access’ (OTA). OTA complements existing PAPs by providing flexible installment plans to accelerate treatment initiation and reduce treatment discontinuation for those facing cash flow challenges. This immediate financial support mechanism is made possible through regional and international charities, and strategic healthcare partners, working in compliance with local legal and regulatory requirements.
Patients receive a personalized plan outlining how much financial support they will receive to cover their full course of treatment, along with a detailed schedule for paying back any portion of the cost that they are responsible for. Unlike traditional access to healthcare finance solutions, the OTA model provides flexible instalment plan at zero interest and is accessible to all patients enrolled in Axios managed-PAPs. With less than 4% calculated payment deviation rate, OTA has shown to be an effective mechanism for alleviating cash flow challenges for patients and improving the overall sustainability of the PAP.
Results
Since launch, Axios has supported more than 2,400 patients through this Program. Once OTA specifically was introduced, three years later, physician referrals increased by 500%, and enrollment among previously identified PAP patients grew by 900%, from 30 patients to 280. Patients enrolled in the program now receive their medication within one week of enrollment, and 92% remain on treatment without interruption. Patients supported by OTA stay on treatment for an average of 18 months, compared to five to seven months for patients without an access program, and are 40% less likely to drop out altogether.
Given that success, the model has expanded well beyond its original market and disease area, now supporting patients across the UAE, Kuwait, Kenya, Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia. The throughline across every market is the same: Axios doesn’t just determine who qualifies for support. It builds the financial infrastructure that gets patients from qualifying to actually starting treatment, and keeps them there.
