Dataset Information

Willingness to pay to sustain and expand National Health Insurance services in Taiwan.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The purpose of the present study was to investigate people's willingness to pay to sustain the current National Health Insurance (NHI) program in Taiwan and to extend that program to cover long-term care services.

Methods

A survey was administered to 1800 inpatients and 1800 outpatients, selected from health care facilities across all accreditation levels that were operating under the supervision of six different regional branches of Taiwan's Bureau of National Health Insurance (BNHI). We used a contingent valuation method with closed-ended questions to elicit participants' willingness to pay for continued national heath insurance and additional institutional long-term care services. We divided participants into six subgroups and asked individuals in these groups referendum-like yes-no questions about whether they were willing to pay one of six price bids: New Taiwan Dollar (NT$) 50, NT$100, NT$200, NT$300, NT$400, or NT$500. Logistic regression was used to analyze willingness to pay.

Results

We found maximum willingness to pay for continued coverage by the NHI program and additional institutional long-term care services to be NT$66 and NT$137 dollars per month, respectively.

Conclusion

We found that people were willing to pay more for their insurance coverage. With regard to methodology, we also found that using a contingent valuation method to elicit peoples' willingness to pay for health policy issues is valid. The results of the present referendum-like study can serve as a reference for future policy decision making.

SUBMITTER: Lang HC

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2635366 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Willingness to pay to sustain and expand National Health Insurance services in Taiwan.

Lang Hui-Chu HC Lai Mei-Shu MS

BMC health services research 20081217

<h4>Background</h4>The purpose of the present study was to investigate people's willingness to pay to sustain the current National Health Insurance (NHI) program in Taiwan and to extend that program to cover long-term care services.<h4>Methods</h4>A survey was administered to 1800 inpatients and 1800 outpatients, selected from health care facilities across all accreditation levels that were operating under the supervision of six different regional branches of Taiwan's Bureau of National Health I ...[more]

PMID: 19091093

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Project description:BackgroundMany low and middle-income countries are increasingly cognisant of the need to offer financial protection to its citizens through pre-payment schemes in order to curb high out of pocket expenditure and catastrophic spending on healthcare. However, there is limited rigorous contextual evidence to make decisions regarding optimal design of such schemes. This study assesses the willingness-to-pay (WTP) for the recently introduced state contributory health insurance scheme (SHIS) in Nigeria.MethodsThe study took place in 6 local government areas in Kaduna state, North-west Nigeria. Data were collected from a household survey using a three-stage cluster sampling approach, with each household having the same probability of being selected. Interviews were conducted with 4000 individuals in 1020 households. Contingent valuation was used to elicit the willing to pay (WTP) for the household using the bidding game technique. The relationship between socioeconomic status and WTP was also examined using logistic regression models.FindingsAbout 82% of the household heads were willing to pay insurance premiums for their households, which came to an average of 513 Naira (1.68 USD) per month per person. The average amount individuals were willing to pay was lower in rural areas (611 Naira) compared to urban areas (463 Naira). These results were influenced by household size, level of education, occupation and household income. In addition, only 65% of the households had the ability to pay the average premium.ConclusionSocioeconomic factors influence individuals' WTP for contributory health insurance schemes. It is important to create awareness about the benefits of the insurance scheme, especially in rural areas, and in both the formal and informal sectors in Nigeria. WTP information can inform the amount of insurance premiums. However, it is important to consider differences between the WTP and the cost of benefits package to be offered, as the premium amount may need to be subsidized with public financing.

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Dataset Information

Willingness to pay to sustain and expand National Health Insurance services in Taiwan.

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Publications

Willingness to pay to sustain and expand National Health Insurance services in Taiwan.

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