The Impact of Community Based Health Insurance Schemes on Out-of-Pocket Healthcare Spending: Evidence from Rwanda

By Andinet Woldemichael, Daniel Gurara, Abebe Shimeles

February 22, 2019

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Andinet Woldemichael, Daniel Gurara, and Abebe Shimeles. The Impact of Community Based Health Insurance Schemes on Out-of-Pocket Healthcare Spending: Evidence from Rwanda, (USA: International Monetary Fund, 2019) accessed September 27, 2024

Disclaimer: IMF Working Papers describe research in progress by the author(s) and are published to elicit comments and to encourage debate. The views expressed in IMF Working Papers are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of the IMF, its Executive Board, or IMF management.

Summary

Achieving universal health coverage, including financial risk protection and access to quality essential health-care services, is one of the main Sustainable Development Goals. In low-income countries, innovative and affordable health financing systems are key to realize these goals. This paper assesses the impacts of Community-Based Health Insurance Scheme in Rwanda on health-related financial risks using a nationally representative household survey data collected over a ten-year period. We find that the scheme significantly reduce annual per capita out-of-pocket spending by about 3,600 Rwandan Franc (about US$12) or about 83 percent of average per capita healthcare expenditure compared to the baseline level in 2000.The impacts however favor the rich as compared to the poor. The program also reduces the incidence of catastrophic healthcare spending significantly.

Subject: Consumption, Expenditure, Financial institutions, Health, Income, Insurance, National accounts

Keywords: Africa, CBHI effect, CBHI enrollment, CBHI member household, CBHI membership rate, CBHI scheme, Consumption, Health insurance, Healthcare spending, Income, Insurance, Low-income, Normal distribution, Rwanda, Sensitivity analysis, WP

Publication Details

Pages:

38
Volume:

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DOI:

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Issue:

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Series:

Working Paper No. 2019/038
Stock No:

WPIEA2019038
ISBN:

9781484398074
ISSN:

1018-5941

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