Factors influencing health insurance uptake in Uganda
Abstract
The aim of this research work was to assess the factors influencing health insurance uptake in
Uganda around central region in particular. This research was guided by the following specific
objectives; to establish whether demographic and socio-economic factors are associated with
uptake of health insurance, to establish whether frequency of illnesses/injuries suffered by
residents in a month is associated with the likelihood of acquiring/using health insurance and to
analyze/estimate the significance of the relationship between health insurance uptake and the
demographic and socio-economic factors.
The study was quantitative in nature and secondary data which was obtained from Uganda
Bureau of Statistics for Uganda National Household Survey was used. STATA software was used
to analyze the data and frequency tables and percentages were generated to present findings.
Chi-square test was used to test the first two hypotheses (i and ii) and logistic regression used
to test the third hypothesis (iii) both at 5% level of significance.
The Chi-square results revealed that; age, region of residence, income level, employment
status, household size, marital status and highest level of education attained were statistically
significantly associated with uptake of health insurance each with p-values (p=0.001, p=0.004,
p=0.000, p=0.000, p=0.033, p=0.007, p=0.000) respectively which were less than 0.05 at 5%
level of significance. However, gender and frequency of illnesses/injuries suffered by residents
in a month were found not statistically significantly associated with uptake of health insurance.
The logistic regression results revealed that; age, employment status and marital status were
statistically significantly associated with uptake of health insurance hence predictors of health
insurance since their p-values were less than 0.05 at 5% level of significance.
From the research findings, the researcher recommended that; the government should invest
in all levels of education, health insurance companies should come up with different schemes of
reaching out to residents at different levels of income which include the poor, the middle
income earners and the rich by offering different packages of health insurance policies in order
to facilitate health insurance uptake by all residents at different income levels. The government
should also provide legislative, technical and regulative support in health insurance
development and then last but not least insurance companies should come up with health
insurance policies that also favor residents with informal employment. The researcher further
recommended that insurance companies formulate insurance policies that also favor those
with informal employment.