Determinants of Uptake of Health Insurance Cover Among Adult Patients Attending Bungoma County Referral Hospital
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Date
2017-06-12
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
International Journal of Health Economics and Policy
Abstract
Health insurance is currently being considered as a mechanism for promoting progress to Universal health Coverage and reducing out-of-pocket payments in many African countries including Kenya which is prompting the use of
NHIF. In Kenya, penetration of health insurance is 20% and 11% in Bungoma County. The main objective of the study was to establish the scheme-related factors influencing uptake of health insurance cover among patients attending Bungoma County Referral hospital. The study adopted across sectional descriptive survey of 300 systematically sampled patients, 4 purposively sampled departmental heads in Bungoma County Referral Hospital and all the 5 insurance company branch managers. Data was collected using questionnaires administered and Key Informant Interview schedule. Crude odds ratio was used to establish association between ownership of health insurance and scheme-related factors. Findings showed that 37% of patients owned health insurance covers mostly public health insurance cover (NHIF). Ownership of health insurance covers increased with age, household income, education levels, awareness of insurance benefits and concepts. Covers were also more prevalent among married patients. Ownership of health insurance covers increased 12.5 times with affordability of covers premiums.
Stock-out of essential drugs and supplies and longer waiting time in covered health facilities discouraged enrollment to schemes.
Description
Keywords
Health Insurance Cover, Patient-Factors, Cover Benefits, Cover Accessibility, Perceived Cover Quality
Citation
Nathan Lukhale Masengeli, Wanja Mwaura-Tenambergen, Joseph Mutai, Ben Wafula Simiyu. Determinants of Uptake of Health Insurance Cover Among Adult Patients Attending Bungoma County Referral Hospital. International Journal of Health Economics and Policy. Vol. 2, No. 4, 2017, pp. 145-151. doi: 10.11648/j.hep.20170204.11