New Health Insurance Study Findings Recently Were Reported by Researchers at Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences (Developing attributes and…

Managed Care Weekly Digest

New Health Insurance Study Findings Recently Were Reported by Researchers at Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences (Developing attributes and levels for a discrete choice experiment on basic health insurance in Iran)

By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Managed Care Weekly Digest -- Investigators publish new report on Health Insurance. According to news reporting originating in Kermanshah, Iran, by NewsRx journalists, research stated, "Nonmarket stated preferences valuation, especially discrete choice experiments (DCEs), is one of the commonly used techniques in the health sector. The primary purpose of this approach is to help select attributes and attributes-levels that are able to properly describe health care products or services."

The news reporters obtained a quote from the research from the Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, "This study aimed at developing attributes and attributes-levels for basic health insurance system in Iran. This study was conducted in 3 phases. First, narrative review was performed to identify related attributes. Also, 9 experts were interviewed to identify relevant attributes of health insurance in context. Other 36 experts rated the attributes and levels. Then, the research team decided on the inclusion of attributes and levels in the final design. The design was constructed using generic and Defficient method with SAS 9.1. The design was divided into 3 blocks, each having 8 choice sets. Finally, the choice set was piloted with 45 participants. Public hospitals, and private hospitals benefits, dental insurance coverage, inpatient benefits, rehabilitation therapy, and paraclinical benefits, long-term care, medical devices benefits (Ortez, Protez, etc.), and monthly premium were identified and included in the final attribute design (D-efficiency=98.16). The pilot study revealed that participants could easily understand and answer all the choice sets. The results of our study indicated that health insurance service benefit packages and premium were among the most important attributes that need to be included in the final attribute design for Iranians. The policymakers and health insurance organizations should emphasize these attributes in the benefit packages to make improvements."

According to the news reporters, the research concluded: "The emphasis on these attributes can help elicit people's preferences and willingness to pay for attributes."

For more information on this research see: Developing attributes and levels for a discrete choice experiment on basic health insurance in Iran. Medical Journal of the Islamic Republic of Iran, 2018;32():26 (see also Health Insurance).

Our news correspondents report that additional information may be obtained by contacting A. Kazemi Karyani, Research Center for Environmental Determinants of Health, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran. Additional authors for this research include A. Rashidian, A. Akbari Sari and S. Emamgholipour Sefiddashti.

Keywords for this news article include: Iran, Asia, Hospitals, Kermanshah, Health Insurance, Health and Medicine.