Health Care Seeking Behavior Among Self-Help Group Households in Rural Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, India

32 Pages Posted: 6 Feb 2014

See all articles by Wameq Raza

Wameq Raza

BRAC

Ellen van de Poel

Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) - Erasmus School of Economics (ESE)

Pradeep Panda

International Institute of Health Management Research

David M. Dror

Micro Insurance Academy (MIA)

Arjun S. Bedi

Erasmus University Rotterdam - International Institute of Social Studies; IZA Institute of Labor Economics

Date Written: December 2013

Abstract

In recent years, supported by non-governmental organizations (NGOs), a number of demand-driven community-based health insurance (CBHI) schemes have been functioning in rural India. These CBHI schemes may design their benefit packages according to local priorities. In this paper we examine healthcare seeking behavior among self-help group households, with a view to understanding the implications for benefit packages offered by such schemes. This study is based on data from rural locations in two of India’s poorest states. We find that the majority of respondents do access some form of care and that there is overwhelming use of private services. Within private services, non-degree allopathic providers (NDAP) also called rural medical practitioners account for a substantial share and the main reason to access such unqualified providers is their proximity. The direct cost of care does not appear to have a bearing on choice of provider. Given the importance of proximity in determining provider choices, several solutions could be foreseen, such as mobile medical tours to villages, and/or that insurance schemes consider coverage of transportation costs and reimbursement of foregone earnings.

Keywords: Healthcare seeking behavior, Non-degree allopathic providers, Community-based Health Insurance schemes, Self-help group, India

Suggested Citation

Raza, Wameq and van de Poel, Ellen and Panda, Pradeep Kumar and Dror, David M. and Bedi, Arjun S., Health Care Seeking Behavior Among Self-Help Group Households in Rural Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, India (December 2013). ERIM Report Series Reference No. 575, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2391186 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2391186

Wameq Raza

BRAC ( email )

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Ellen Van de Poel

Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) - Erasmus School of Economics (ESE) ( email )

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Pradeep Kumar Panda

International Institute of Health Management Research ( email )

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David M. Dror

Micro Insurance Academy (MIA) ( email )

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Erasmus University Rotterdam - International Institute of Social Studies ( email )

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IZA Institute of Labor Economics

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