Scaling-up universal financial protection: experience from a tertiary health facility of the impact of perception on the willingness to enrol in health insurance schemes in Delta State, Nigeria

Abstract

Objective: To assess the evidence of how the perception of health insurance impacts on the willingness to enrol and utilize health insurance among clienteles using tertiary health services.

Method: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study. The instrument was a pre-tested, semi-structured self administered questionnaire. Descriptive statistics as well as chi-square test and regression analysis were done to show statistically significant associations.

Results: The findings reveal that majority of the respondents, that is 109 (46.4%) were of the opinion that health insurance is a viable programme, however they had their reservations, which were those of uncertainty, amongst others. Nevertheless, the perception by most of the respondents showed that they need more information based on their poor experiences of health insurance, and this strengthens their quest to enrol in any such scheme. A sufficiently reliable association between the feeling that they need more information on health insurance and the willingness to enrol in a health insurance scheme (χ² = 11.690, df = 1, p-value = .001) was shown.

Conclusion: The findings from this study has brought to the fore that perception of clients using health services impacts on their desire and willingness to participate in health insurance schemes. However, there are concerns that necessitate wide spread advocacy for health insurance.