Data on Health Services Reported by Melkamu Ayalew Kokebie and Colleagues (Willingness to pay for social health insurance and its associated factors among public servants in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study): Health and Medicine – Health Services

2022 JUL 27 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Education Daily Report -- New research on Health and Medicine - Health Services is the subject of a report. According to news reporting from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, by NewsRx journalists, research stated, “As a means of establishing a sustained and fair health care financing system, Ethiopia has planned and ratified a legal framework to introduce a social health insurance program for employees of the formal sector to protect them against financial and health burdens. However, the implementation has been delayed due to the resistance of public servants to pay the proposed premium.”

The news correspondents obtained a quote from the research, “The aim of this study was to estimate the magnitude of willingness to pay the proposed amount of premium set by the government for the social health insurance program and the factors associated with it among public servants in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. An institution-based cross-sectional study design was used to conduct the study. Multistage sampling was employed to select a total of 503 from 12 randomly selected public sectors. Data were collected using pretested, interviewer-administered structured questionnaires. A contingent valuation method with an iterative bidding game was used to elicit willingness to pay. Finally, logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent predictors of willingness to pay. Statistical significance was considered at P< 0.05 with adjusted odds ratios calculated at 95% CIs. Only 35.4% were willing to pay the proposed premium (3% of their monthly salary). Those who had children from 6-18 years old (AOR = 3.252; 95% CI: 1.15, 9.22), had a history of unaffordable health service costs during the last 12 months (AOR = 9.631; 95% CI: 4.12, 22.52), and had prior information about the social health insurance program (AOR = 11.011, 95% CI. 3.735-32.462) were more likely to pay for the proposed social health insurance program compared to their counterparts. The willingness to pay the proposed amount premium for social health insurance among public servants in Addis Ababa was very low that implies the implementation will be challenging.”

According to the news reporters, the research concluded: “Thus, the government of Ethiopia should consider reviewing the amount of premium contributions expected from employees before implementing the social health insurance scheme.”

For more information on this research see: Willingness to pay for social health insurance and its associated factors among public servants in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study. BMC Health Services Research, 2022;22(1):909. BMC Health Services Research can be contacted at: Bmc, Campus, 4 Crinan St, London N1 9XW, England. (BioMed Central - http://www.biomedcentral.com/; BMC Health Services Research - http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmchealthservres/)

Our news journalists report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Melkamu Ayalew Kokebie, Dept. of Maternal, Child Health and Nutrition, Ethiopian Ministry of Health, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Additional authors for this research include Ziyad Ahmed Abdo, Shikur Mohamed and Belayneh Leulseged.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-022-08304-8. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.

Publisher contact information for the journal BMC Health Services Research is: Bmc, Campus, 4 Crinan St, London N1 9XW, England.

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