Abstract:
The objective of this study was to determine the influence of medical insurance affiliation on health care equity
in Makueni County, Kenya. The study was based on system theory. It applied cross-sectional survey and
phenomenological research designs. Qualitative and quantitative approaches were used. Yamane (1967) formula was
used to get the sample size of 400 health care consumers. Purposive sampling technique was used to get the health care
managers, officials, health care workers and administrators. To recruit the 400 universal health care consumers,
proportionate stratified random sampling technique was used to get the respondents from the three selected sub-counties
(Kaiti, Kilome and Makueni). Structured and unstructured Questionnaires were used to collect data using face to face
method. Interviews were conducted with the county health department officials and health care workers in public health
care facilities. Study results revealed that majority of health care consumers had medical insurance. It was revealed
that UHC was depleted before the end of the financial year consequently affecting delivery of medical goods and
services. UHC has reduced out of pocket medical payments at the house-hold level. It was recommended that there was
a need to utilize medical insurance schemes in a more equitable manner.
