A Comparative Cost-Benefit Analysis of Micro-Health Insurance Programmes in Bangladesh : Conjoint Analysis

This study analyses Cost per QALY of Micro Health Insurance Programme (MHIP) and determine utility value of MHIPs' attributes from consumer's point of view and also examine why insured people need to go to other service provider's for treatments. The study has used two-stage model construction to examine this issue. First, it determines the factors, which affect the MHIPs' Cost per QALY values and secondly determine utility values using conjoint technique of Part-Worth model. The findings of the study indicate that cost-effectiveness of MHIPs is statistically significant and important determinants are premium, cost per doctor visit, physical examination, well baby visit and immunization, maternal and child health care, vision coverage, hospitalization coverage, quality of service providers, and prescription coverage. It also reveals that the over-all health status of rural based MHIP participants is lower as compared to the urban based MHIP counterparts. Micro health insurance (MHI) may be one of the viable options for providing financial protection and access to basic health services to the socially disadvantaged (such as poor woman, children and disabled persons) and may be considered a bold step forward in breaking the vicious cycle of vulnerability, illness, and poverty, that restrict the lives of so many people in rural Bangladesh