THE IMPACT OF HEALTH INSURANCE ON HEALTH CARE PROVISION IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

Abstract

Health insurance, in addition to being a technique for controlling and managing health risks, helps in placing the insured in a position for accessing health care delivery ahead of an illness. This instrument, which has been well utilized in developed economies, is what the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in Nigeria tries to replicate, albeit ineffectively. This study assesses the impact of the NHIS scheme in promoting access to health care. It identifies a need for all stakeholders to engage in the active promotion of awareness on health insurance as option of health care pro- visioning. It argues that health insurance can make health care more accessible to a wider segment of the population and help reduce the huge expenditure on health without reducing quality.