Fees & Access Policy

Fees & Access Policy

The Journal of Healthcare Finance (JHF) is committed to publishing high-quality, financially rigorous, and openly accessible research. To sustain this mission and maintain a strong editorial process, JHF uses a modest submission fee while offering full open access to all published articles.

For additional guidance on manuscript preparation, see the Author Preparation Guide and Article Types & Submission Guidelines.

Submission Fee

To reduce low-effort or off-topic submissions and support editorial operations, JHF charges a non-refundable submission fee.

Standard submission fee: $50 USD per manuscript

This fee supports:

  • Initial editorial screening
  • Double-blind peer review
  • Reviewer honoraria (when applicable)
  • Administrative processing
  • Technology and hosting infrastructure

Waivers & Reductions

JHF offers waivers or reductions for:

  • Students, trainees, and early-career researchers (e.g., Assistant Professors)
  • Corresponding authors from low-income countries (World Bank classification)
  • Authors of editor-invited manuscripts (e.g., Commentaries, Perspectives)
  • Papers recommended following conference presentations

During submission, authors may self-report eligibility for a waiver using a checkbox. The editorial office may follow up if clarification is needed.

Open Access Policy

JHF is a fully open-access journal. All articles are freely available upon publication, without subscription fees, paywalls, or institutional restrictions.

We believe that health finance and policy research should be accessible to practitioners, researchers, policymakers, and the public.

Article Processing Charge (APC)

During the journal’s relaunch period (2025–2026):

  • APC = $0 (fully waived)
  • Authors pay only the submission fee

Beginning in 2027, JHF may introduce a modest APC (e.g., $300–$600) to support long-term sustainability while keeping publication affordable and accessible.

Any future APC changes will be announced at least one year in advance.

Why We Charge Fees

Modest submission fees allow JHF to:

  • Maintain thorough, timely peer review
  • Improve initial screening to ensure high-quality, relevant submissions
  • Avoid high APCs that burden authors
  • Invest in journal development, indexing, and technology infrastructure

This balanced model supports JHF’s mission of accessibility, rigor, and long-term sustainability.