One of the most practical problems one can face while implementing a user fee-based healthcare service to the community is that many poor people would seek healthcare in credit because they will not have cash to pay, despite the lowest price offered to them. To counter such a situation, the NGO can introduce a microinsurance scheme where the poor are mobilized to save money to cover their health expenses or offered credit in times of health emergency through pooling of community’s financial resources.
A health microinsurance scheme needs to be planned efficiently if it has to be implemented successfully. An NGO cannot offer to cover treatment for all the diseases under the scheme. Even if it is some of the diseases or health problems, then these have to be carefully identified and the risks involved in their treatment noted down.
Simple health problems like diarrhea, anemia, malnutrition and small injuries can be part of the microinsurance program because you may not need a full-time doctor to treat them; health volunteers can manage recovery for these problems. It can be publicized within the community that the NGO would cover treatment costs to such problems for those who would contribute small sums of money regularly to the scheme. In the long-term, when the number of microinsurance users increase, the NGO can gain to have some income from this program.
