THE INFLUENCE OF MEDICAL INSURANCE AFFILIATION ON HEALTH CARE EQUITY IN MAKUENI COUNTY, KENYA

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.