Developing Pro-Poor Health Insurance in India

An International Conference on Micro Health Insurance

November 1st and 2nd 2006 India Habitat Centre, New Delhi

Brochure for information and registration is downloadable here.

An e-version (132KB) is downloadable here.

* This conference is organized jointly by: Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) Erasmus University Rotterdam / Department of Health Policy & Management University of Cologne In partnership with: BAIF DHAN Foundation Karuna Trust NIDAN Uplift Health Yeshasvini Trust

* Co-hosted by: Sa-Dhan In academic partnership with: BIMTECH Kindly supported by: CARE EU-India Economic Cross Cultural Programme

Background

India clearly emerges as the world's leader in the development of low-cost health insurance through micro health insurance units for poor and for rural population-segments. Around 40 such schemes, covering several million clients, are active in India. And the numbers are on the rise. Most of the existing micro health insurance schemes decided to run their own independent insurance because of an understandable reluctance among rural communities and the poor to add to profits of commercial insurance companies, and because the package they need is not easily available. Non-commercial mutual “micro health insurance schemes” are attractive because they enable the members to retain part of the profits. This is also an effective way to reduce free-riding, moral hazard and adverse selection, as well as insurance fraud. The other distinguishing factor is the modus operandi of the schemes' which involves the clients in some important aspects of the business cycle. Due to the prevalent intensive ongoing contacts among community members, more and better information flows inexpensively, which can be used to enhance broad-based affiliation and renewal, and to monitor outlier utilization. By reducing moral hazard, adverse selection and free-riding, communities can reduce costs for all.

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