Template-Type: ReDIF-Paper 1.0
Author-Name: Panda, P.
Author-Name-Last: Panda
Author-Name-First: Pradeep
Author-Name: Chakraborty, A.
Author-Name-Last: Chakraborty
Author-Name-First: Arpita
Author-Name: Dror, D.M.
Author-Name-Last: Dror
Author-Name-First: David
Author-Name: Bedi, A.S.
Author-Name-Last: Bedi
Author-Name-First: Arjun Singh
Author-Person: pbe710
Title: Enrollment in community based health insurance schemes in rural Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, India
Abstract: This paper assesses insurance uptake in three community based health insurance (CBHI) schemes located in rural parts of two of India’s poorest states and offered through women’s self-help groups (SHGs). We examine what drives uptake, the degree of inclusive practices of the schemes, and the influence of health status on enrollment. The most important finding is that a household’s socio-economic status does not appear to substantially inhibit uptake. In some cases Scheduled Caste/ Scheduled Tribe (SC/ST) households are more likely to enroll. Second, households with greater financial liabilities find insurance more attractive. Third, access to the hospital insurance scheme (RSBY) does not dampen CBHI uptake, suggesting that the potential for greater development of insurance markets and products beyond existing ones would respond to a need. Fourth, recent episodes of illness and selfassessed health status do not influence uptake. Fifth, insurance coverage is prioritized within households, with the household head, the spouse of the household head and both male and female children of the household head, more likely to be insured as compared to other relatives. Sixth, offering insurance through women’s SHGs appears to mitigate concerns about the inclusiveness and sustainability of CBHI schemes. Given the pan-Indian spread of SHGs, offering insurance through such groups offers the potential to scale-up CBHI.
Creation-Date: 2013-03-30
File-URL: https://repub.eur.nl/pub/39494/wp555.pdf
File-Format: application/pdf
Series: RePEc:ems:euriss
Number: 555
Keywords: Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, community-based health insurance, enrollment, health microinsurance, rural India, self-help groups
Handle: RePEc:ems:euriss:39494