The prevalence of health insurance in a Jamaica suburb and its correlations with service utilisation

ABSTRACT

The prevalence of health insurance in a low-income Jamaican community was determined from a systematic sample of 103 households. A household prevalence for health insurance of 32 per cent was found. Differentials in health service utilisation were more striking for private practitioner services where the highest correlation with coverage was found (r=0.346,p<0.001). A negative correlation with local health centre utilisation was obtained. The level of health insurance coverage in the community and its impact on service utilisation would suggest the possibility of harsh economies in health sector, forcing consumers in low-income groups to seek a buffer for the expenses incurred from needs unmet by the the public services. Part of this favourable prevalence of health insurance may also be due to job-related coverage (AU)