MARKETING OF HEALTH INSURANCE IN RURAL AREA: A STUDY WITH REFERENCE TO GULBARGA, YADGIR AND RAICHUR DISTRICTS OF KARNATAKA

DR. R.MAREGOUD; MR.ASHOKREDDY B.PATIL

Volume : III, Issue : IX, September - 2014

MARKETING OF HEALTH INSURANCE IN RURAL AREA: A STUDY WITH REFERENCE TO GULBARGA, YADGIR AND RAICHUR DISTRICTS OF KARNATAKA

Dr. R. Maregoud, Mr. Ashokreddy B. Patil

Abstract :

The role and relevance of tax or social health insurance based intervention has come to occupy central stage in recent years in several countries that are undertaking measures to reform health systems. One or a mix of these health–financing models is considered desirable to achieve universal coverage to its population. Most of the low and middle income economies till recently have relied heavily on Out–Of–Pocket (OOP) payments of households, which are regarded as both inefficient and iniquitous. As a consequence, OOP causes financial catastrophe and impoverishment of vulnerable households. The underlying reasons are that the OOP payments preclude the conditions of prepayment, risk–pooling and cross–subsidization. A tax–based health financing mechanism, as in UK, Cuba and Sri Lanka or a oad based social health insurance programs as in Germany, France, Mexico, etc. is being prescribed as a key instrument of health financing strategy for many low income countries like India, if it were to achieve universal health coverage.