Enrolment in health insurance in rural Vietnam

Khan, P. N., Tolhurst, Rachel ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3005-6641, Duc, T. D., Thi, P. H., Pham, M., Liu, X. and Raven, Joanna ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4112-6959 (2009) 'Enrolment in health insurance in rural Vietnam' in 6th European Congress on Tropical Medicine and International Health, Verona, Italy, 6-10 September 2010.

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Abstract

OBJECTIVES To improve enrolment in voluntary health insurance in rural Vietnam by increasing community understanding and knowledge of the schemes and ease of participation through a multi-faceted intervention including information, education and communication activities and efforts to improve the administration
of health insurance.

METHODS The study took place in four rural districts in
Vietnam. In two of these districts a multi-faceted intervention was carried out which included strengthening the awareness and understanding of local people of Health Insurance schemes, through the development and distribution of information education and communication (IEC) messages and materials and training for Health Insurance partners and collaborators on IEC and efforts to improve the administration of the scheme. Pre- and post-intervention household surveys were conducted to investigate enrolment in and knowledge of health insurance, health seeking
behaviour, and costs of seeking healthcare. Pre- and postintervention qualitative studies were undertaken to investigate population, policy makers’ and service providers’ perceptions and experiences of health insurance, the interventions and attribution of any changes over the intervention period.

RESULTS Following the intervention, enrolment in health insuranceincreased by 6.9% and 7.4% in the two intervention districts.
Community awareness of health insurance has improved in the
intervention districts. Following the intervention, there were 42% and 38% increases in awareness of voluntary health insurance schemes in the two districts. Similarly, community awareness of health insurance for the poor has also increased with 25% and 22% increases in the two districts. From the qualitative study factors affecting changes in enrolment and awareness emerged.
Health insurance collaborators provided information on health insurance to community members in their homes. There was better involvement of social organisations, such as the Red Cross, in promoting and administering health insurance. Enrolment procedures have improved resulting in fewer mistakes on health insurance cards and less delay in receiving cards. Procedures for admission to hospitals for people with health insurance have improved in the two intervention districts.

CONCLUSION Enrolment has increased in the study areas.
Changes in awareness of HI and HI for the poor are likely to have contributed to the increases in enrolment. Interventions aiming to increase awareness of HI in the intervention districts appear to have contributed to this effect. Improvements in the administration of the schemes were also perceived to have contributed to increases
in enrolment.

Item Type:	Conference or Workshop Item (Poster)
Additional Information:	Published in: Tropical Medicine & International Health, 14(S2), 106
Subjects:	WA Public Health > WA 30 Socioeconomic factors in public health (General) WA Public Health > WA 20.5 Research (General) WA Public Health > Health Administration and Organization > WA 525 General works
Faculty: Department:	Groups (2002 - 2012) > Child & Reproductive Health Group Groups (2002 - 2012) > International Health Group
Related URLs:	http://www.festmih.org/verona2009/
Depositing User:	Philomena Hinds
Date Deposited:	23 Apr 2010 15:18
Last Modified:	08 Sep 2020 10:07
URI:	https://archive.lstmed.ac.uk/id/eprint/300

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