Demand-side Issues of Microinsurance Provision to the Poor

• What are the key constraints to Kenya's National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) registration: lack of education, high transaction costs, or high insurance costs?
• What is the impact of the National Health Insurance on clients?

Partner organizations

The National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) is a Kenyan government organisation whose core mandate is to provide medical insurance cover to all its members and their declared dependants (spouse and children).

Product

NHIF membership is open to all Kenyans who have attained the age of 18 years and years and have a monthly income of more than 1000 Kenyan shillings (about USD $13). Benefits include

• inpatient cover of up to 396,000 Kenyan shillings (about USD $5,294) per year for the contributor, spouse and children.
• comprehensive medical cover in certain hospitals across the country; partial reimbursement in others
• coverage for maternity cases
• no exclusions

Evaluation design

Experimental: random assignment of access to microinsurance product

• Household surveys

Sample size: 3,200 households