Low- and middle-income countries are increasingly interested in separating purchasers from providers of health care services, and engaging private sector providers to increase efficiency and healthcare coverage for the poor and vulnerable as part of Universal Health Coverage strategies. But a recent review that we conducted on the role of health care cost accounting in pricing and reimbursement in LMICs, found a significant gap in the literature describing how these countries have captured cost information, and how they have integrated it into their provider payment mechanisms. This blog summarizes three key lessons learned from the review.