Study Data from University of Oslo Update Understanding of Health Policy and Planning (Willingness to pay for a national health insurance scheme in The Gambia: A contingent valuation study): Health and Medicine – Health Policy and Planning

2022 NOV 15 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Health & Medicine Business Daily -- Investigators publish new report on health policy and planning. According to news originating from Oslo, Norway, by NewsRx correspondents, research stated, “In pursuit of universal health coverage, many low- and middle-income countries are reforming their health financing systems and introducing health insurance schemes. As part of these reforms, lawmakers in The Gambia recently enacted ‘The National Health Insurance Bill, 2021’.”

The news journalists obtained a quote from the research from University of Oslo: “The Act will establish a national health insurance scheme that pays for the cost of healthcare services for its members. This study assessed Gambians’ willingness to pay for national health insurance scheme. Using multi-stage sampling design with no replacement, head/co- head of households were presented with a hypothetical health insurance scheme from July to August 2020. Their willingness to pay and factors influencing willingness to pay were elicited using a contingent valuation method. Descriptive statistics were used to describe sample characteristics. Lopez-Feldman’s modified ordered probit model, and linear regression were applied to estimate respondents’ willingness to pay as well as identify factors that influence their willingness to pay. More than 90% of the respondents 677 (94.4%) were willing to join and pay for the scheme. Half of these respondents 398 (58.8%) agreed to pay first bid of United States Dollars (US$) 20.78 or Gambian Dalasi (GMD) 1000. The average willingness to pay was estimated at US$ 23.27 (GMD 1119.82), whereas average maximum amount to pay was US$ 26.01 (GMD 1251.16).”

According to the news reporters, the research concluded: “Results of the two models together showed that gender, level of education and household income were statistically significant with the latter showing negative influence on willingness to pay. The study found that Gambians were largely receptive to the scheme and have stated their willingness to contribute. Our findings can inform policymakers in The Gambia and other Sub- Saharan countries when establishing contribution rates and exemption criteria during social health insurance scheme implementation.”

For more information on this research see: Willingness to pay for a national health insurance scheme in The Gambia: A contingent valuation study. Health Policy and Planning, 2022. The publisher for Health Policy and Planning is Oxford University Press (OUP).

A free version of this journal article is available at https://doi.org/10.1093/heapol/czac089.

Our news editors report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Hassan Njie, Department of Community Medicine and Global Health, University of Oslo, Postboks 1130 Blindern, 0318 Oslo, Norway. Additional authors for this research include Knut Reidar Wangen, Lumbwe Chola, Unni Gopinathan, Ibrahimu Mdala, Johanne S Sundby, Patrick G Ilboudo.

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