The Effect of Adequate Funding and Health Service Provision on Micro Health Insurance Growth: The Case of BEPHA in the NWR of Cameroon

Abstract

Purpose: Inadequate financial support and provision of poor-quality health services among the health facilities are major causes behind poor performance of Community Health Financing (CHF). The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of adequate funding and health service provision on micro health insurance growth, taking BEPHA as a case study. Methodology: The descriptive and explanatory research designs were used in this study. Data was collected by administering questionnaires to 400 respondents. Interviews were also carried out on 10 staff of BEPHA. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation, and multiple regression analysis. Findings: In results regarding BEPHA financing, 70% of those interviewed believed it is high while 30% indicated that it is low. Out of 400 participants 191 (47.8%) of them perceived services offered by BEPHA partner hospitals as fair while 182 (45.5%) perceived their services as good. The correlation results showed a strong positive and significant relationship between sufficiency of BEPHA financing (r= 0.802, p < 0.05) and quality of BEPHA health services (r = 0.667, p < 0.05) with the growth of BEPHA as a health insurance scheme. The multiple regression analysis results showed that sufficiency of BEPHA financing (β=0.166; p < 0.1), has a positive and significant effect on growth of BEPHA. The quality of BEPHA health services (β=0.200; p < 0.1) also has a significant positive effect on growth of BEPHA. Concisely, the study revealed that the funding and quality of BEPHA health services can determine the variations in the growth of BEPHA health insurance scheme. Recommendations: This study thus recommended that, the scheme should reduce the waiting period for minor health risk to at most 2 weeks while the 6 months waiting period for major health risk including delivery should be reduced to one (01) month to increase finances from large enrolment. It also recommended the sensitization of health personnel on good customer service principles to increase service quality at these partner health facilities.