Factors affecting health insurance uptake among informal-sector workers in Zimbabwe: a case of Bindura district

Abstract

The study assesses the factors that affect health insurance uptake among informal sector workers in Zimbabwe using primary data from Bindura, Mashonaland Central. This comes in the wake of high rate of non- participation in Health Insurance which is one of the most important ways to achieve Universal Health Coverage. Specifically the study sort to determine the factors that influence one’s decision to participate in health insurance and to determine the impact of those factors. The study also sort to measure Health Insurance Participation among Informal sector workers. 134 Participants were drawn through multi-stage sampling and a structured questionnaire was used to collect data. The study was utilised a cross-sectional research design. Stata was used to analyze the data. Logit regression results show that the level of education, income, age, gender, household size, cost of health insurance, awareness of health insurance and presence of chronic illness, are all significant predictors of participation in health insurance schemes among informal sector workers. Household size, and cost of health insurance were found to have a negative association with health insurance participation.To improve health insurance participation, the study recommends Health Insuranceindustry to develop schemes that appeal to informal sector workers and to improve education and communication about Health insurance among these workers.The industry should also endeavor to stimulate productivity among informal sector workers. The study also argues for Government and private health sector to improve quality of health services to attract uptake of health insurance and achieve Universal Health Coverage.