Reducing Health Inequalities Role of Community Based Health Insurance Schemes; Evidence from India and Ethiopia

摘要

People must be healthy to contribute to the economic development of a nation. Promoting andprotecting health is essential to human welfare. But many times governments fail to guarantee universalcoverage to citizens mainly because of insufficient public health funds. Equity has been considered as animportant issue in health sector. Yet an inequality between the poor and the better off persists in almost alldeveloping countries. Health insurance is a health care financing mechanism to reduce health inequalities,improve access to quality health care and reduces financial burden of households when they are sick .Past fewdecades government of India introduced various demand side health insurance schemes to protect poor andvulnerable population who are in informal sector from major health shocks. Four major health insuranceschemes are making significant change in health insurance coverage scenario in India and becoming a rolemodel for developing countries. In Ethiopia currently health insurance coverage is around 1.1% only. Sogovernment introduced a comprehensive health insurance scheme for poor and is on pilot stage in four regions ofthe country. This case study is trying to get lessons and challenges of CBHI Schemes from India and Ethiopia.