Microinsurance: Innovations in Low-Cost Health Insurance

11 Pages Posted: 15 Apr 2010

See all articles by David M. Dror

David M. Dror

Micro Insurance Academy (MIA)

Ralf Radermacher

Micro Insurance Academy e.V.

Shrikant B. Khadilkar

BAIF Development Research Foundation

Petra Schout

affiliation not provided to SSRN

François-Xavier Hay

MACIF-Mutavie

Arbind Singh

NIDAN

Ruth Koren

Tel Aviv University - Professor Sackler Faculty of Medicine

Date Written: November 1, 2009

Abstract

Microinsurance - low-cost health insurance based on a community, cooperative, or mutual and self-help arrangements - can provide financial protection for poor households and improve access to health care. However, low benefit caps and a low share of premiums paid as benefits - both designed to keep these arrangements in business - perversely limited these schemes’ ability to extend coverage, offer financial protection, and retain members. We studied three schemes in India, two of which are member-operated and one a commercial scheme, using household surveys of insured and uninsured households and interviews with managers. All three enrolled poor households and raised their use of hospital services, as intended. Financial exposure was greatest, and protection was least, in the commercial scheme, which imposed the lowest caps on benefits and where income was the lowest.

Keywords: Microinsurance, India, Health Insurance, Low-Income Populations

Suggested Citation

Dror, David M. and Radermacher, Ralf and Khadilkar, Shrikant B. and Schout, Petra and Hay, François-Xavier and Singh, Arbind and Koren, Ruth, Microinsurance: Innovations in Low-Cost Health Insurance (November 1, 2009). Health Affairs, Vol. 28, No. 6, pp. 1788-1798, 2009, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1589266

David M. Dror (Contact Author)

Micro Insurance Academy (MIA) ( email )

New Delhi, NCR
India
+41 78 790 6789 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://https://en.everybodywiki.com/

Ralf Radermacher

Micro Insurance Academy e.V. ( email )

Colmantstr. 5
Bonn, 53115
Germany

Shrikant B. Khadilkar

BAIF Development Research Foundation ( email )

Central Research Station
Uruli Kanchan, Maharashtra 412 202
India

Petra Schout

affiliation not provided to SSRN ( email )

François-Xavier Hay

MACIF-Mutavie ( email )

Paris
France

Arbind Singh

NIDAN ( email )

Patna, Bihar
India

Ruth Koren

Tel Aviv University - Professor Sackler Faculty of Medicine ( email )

Ramat Aviv
Tel-Aviv, 6997801
Israel

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