Objectives

This conference aims to disseminate new information on the effectiveness of ommunity health schemes in delivering health insurance for poor and rural population segments in India. The new evidence was gathered and analyzed in 2005 and 2006 under the project “Strengthening micro health insurance units for the poor in India”, funded by the EU/ECCP. The main source of information is a household survey conducted in seven locations where micro health insurance units operate; the survey covered upwards of 4,930 households, and is the largest comparative survey of this kind conducted in India so far. The results of the analysis are presented thematically, following the main functions of the business cycle of insurance. Within each topic,
practitioners and experts discuss the adaptation of the business processes to suit the specific requirements of health insurance for the poor. Special attention is devoted to the question of policy choices for the rollout of sustainable insurance for the poor.