New Health Services Study Findings Reported from University of Bergen (Mandatory health insurance for the informal sector in Tanzania-has it worked anywhere!): Health and Medicine – Health Services

2023 OCT 12 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- New research on health services is the subject of a new report. According to news originating from Bergen, Norway, by NewsRx correspondents, research stated, “Many countries in sub-Saharan Africa are struggling to expand voluntary health insurance schemes to raise finances toward achieving universal health coverage. With more than three-quarters of the population without any insurance, the government of Tanzania has unsuccessfully tried to pass a Bill proposing a mandatory, nationwide scheme to cover the large and diverse informal sector.”

The news editors obtained a quote from the research from University of Bergen: “The Bill proposed an annual premium of 150 USD for a household of six or 65 USD per person. Studies in Tanzania and Kenya have shown that the majority of people in the informal sector are unwilling and unable to pay premiums as low as 4 USD, mostly due to poverty. Mandatory health insurance for the informal sector is not common in this region, mostly because it is difficult to enforce. Successful insurance schemes have included significant subsidies from tax revenues. Tanzania should not seek to raise funds for health through an unenforceable insurance scheme but rather should consider a largely tax-funded scheme for the informal sector. Contributions through low-cost voluntary schemes can enhance social contracts, reduce out-of-pocket expenditure, and promote efficient utilization.”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “In addition, progressive health taxes should be imposed on harmful products (tobacco, alcohol, sugary drinks, etc.) to raise more funds while addressing the increasing burden of non-communicable diseases. Furthermore, efficiency in the use of scarce health resources should be promoted through realistic prioritization of public services, the use of Health Technology Assessment, and strategic purchasing.”

For more information on this research see: Mandatory health insurance for the informal sector in Tanzania-has it worked anywhere!. Frontiers in Health Services, 2023,3. The publisher for Frontiers in Health Services is Frontiers Media S.A.

A free version of this journal article is available at https://doi.org/10.3389/frhs.2023.1247301.

Our news journalists report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Amani Thomas Mori, Bergen Center for Ethics and Priority Setting, Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.

(Our reports deliver fact-based news of research and discoveries from around the world.)