Health micro-insurance schemes: Feasibility study guide. Volume 2: Tools

This guide will help promoters of health micro-insurance schemes to realize such a study. It will allow for the analyzation of the necessary prerequisites for the creation of such a scheme, as well as identifying the characteristics (the organisation, the services, etc.) necessary for its viability and its effectiveness. The guide is organised in two volumes. The first provides a step-by-step procedure, which will help actors to organise their implementation of the study. The second focuses on the methods and tools relating to each step, offering concrete support for putting the procedure into practice.

For many countries in the process of development, the number of health micro-insurance schemes is rapidly increasing. This increase illustrates the importance given to these schemes by their populations and those who are promoting improved access to social protection and healthcare. In order for these schemes to be durable and have the capacities to develop, it is important for them to be well formulated from their start. To this effect, it is essential to conduct a systematic feasibility study prior to the establishment or further development of a health micro-insurance scheme.

This guide will help promoters of health micro-insurance schemes to realize such a study. It will allow for the analyzation of the necessary prerequisites for the creation of such a scheme, as well as identifying the characteristics (the organisation, the services, etc.) necessary for its viability and its effectiveness. The guide is organised in two volumes. The first provides a step-by-step procedure, which will help actors to organise their implementation of the study. The second focuses on the methods and tools relating to each step, offering concrete support for putting the procedure into practice.

This work is written not only for those who want to implement a feasibility study, but also for those who simply want to understand what a feasibility study of health micro-insurance schemes represents. Due to the structure of the content, the guide can also be used as a reference tool, which readers can consult for precise ends (to verify a formula, use examples of questionnaires as starting points, use a precise method, verify a theory or a definition, etc.).

This guide was produced by the "Strategies and Tools against social Exclusion and Poverty" (STEP) programme of the Social Protection Sector of the International Labour Organization (ILO). For several years, STEP has been involved in efforts to strengthen the technical capacity of promoters and managers of health micro-insurance schemes and their support structures. It is based on the work of national programme experts along with the collaboration of numerous actors working in the development of health micro-insurance schemes.