Willingness and ability to pay for Health Insurance in Ekiti State
Conduct of willingness and ability to pay for Health Insurance in Ekiti State.
DPD supported the Ekiti State Health Insurance Scheme on a GIZ funded Willingness and ability to pay for health insurance study across 9 LGAs in the state. This study investigated the willingness and ability of formal and informal sector citizens in Ekiti State to purchase health insurance premiums under a paid plan of the Ulerawa program. By understanding citizens› willingness to pay for Ulerawa premiums and the determinants of their enrollment decisions, the state health agency aimed to gain invaluable insights for crafting targeted interventions to maximize healthcare access.
The objectives of the study were:
1.
To estimate the willingness and ability to pay (WATP) for health insurance among citizens in the formal and informal sector in Ekiti State.
2.
To elicit the percentage of earnings citizens (or households) are willing to pay for Ulerawa health insurance premiums.
3.
To identify the factors that influence their decision to enroll or not enroll in health insurance.
4.
To understand the financial limitations of individuals and households and help identify the extent to which health insurance premiums fit within their budgets.
5.
To propose evidence-based strategies to increase health insurance enrollment among citizens in Ekiti State.
Technical Approach
The study utilized a cross-sectional design across households, employing both multi-stage probability and non-probability sampling methods. The survey interviewed 420 adults over 18 years of age who were household heads across 9 LGAs in the state to collect information on household characteristics, household health-seeking behavior, satisfaction with existing public health services, income and household expenditure on primary health services, interest in health insurance, and contingent valuation to determine willingness to pay for health insurance under the “Ulerawa” scheme.