The National Health Plan 2017-2021 (NHP) recognized the need for engagement with non-state providers of health care in order to achieve universal health coverage (UHC). The approach it recommended was to establish a national purchasing body to purchase services from both government and non-government providers. This is a substantial change from the way health services are currently paid for in Myanmar, whereby government funds flow only to government clinics in the form of salaries, medicines, allowances and operating expenses.