Most studies have associated “un-affordability” as a plausible cause for the lower take-up of private voluntary health insurance plans. However, others refuted this claim on the pretext that when people can afford “inpatient-care” from pocket then insurance premium cost is far less than those payments. Thus, economic factors remain insufficient in clearly explaining the reason for poor private voluntary health insurance take-up. An attempt is being made by shifting the focus towards non-economic factors and understanding the role of perception and health insurance literacy in transforming people preferences to invest in private voluntary health insurance plans. The study findings will conspicuously support decision-makers in developing strategy to increase the private voluntary health insurance take-up.
World Health Organization. WHO global health expenditure atlas.
Geneva, Switzerland:
WHO Press, 2014.
2.
National Sample Survey Organization. Health in India (NSS 71st round).
Government of India.
New Delhi, 2014.
3.
SekhriNSavedoffW.Private health insurance: implications for developing countries. Bull World Health Org2005;
83: 127–134.
4.
Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority. Annual Report 2014-15, New Delhi, 2015.
5.
ColomboF. Lessons for Developing Countries from the OECD. In: Preker Alexandar S, Scheffer Richard M and Basset Mark C (eds) Private voluntary health insurance in development Friend or Foe? Washington, DC: The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/The World Bank, 2007, pp.211–240.
6.
DubayLHolahanJCookA.The uninsured and the affordability of health insurance coverage. Health Aff2007;
26: w22–w30.
7.
SchoenCOsbornRSquiresDet al.
How health insurance design affects access to care and costs, by income, in eleven countries. Health Aff2010;
18: 10–377.
8.
SchoenCOsbornRSquiresDet al.
Access, affordability, and insurance complexity are often worse in the United States compared to ten other countries. Health Aff2013;
32: 2205–2215. Dec
9.
VatéMDrorD. To insure or not to insure? reflections on the limits of insurability. In: Dror, David M and Preker Alexander S (eds) Social Reinsurance: A New Approach to Sustainable Community Health Financing. Washington, DC: The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/The World Bank and International Labour Organisation, 2002, pp.125–152.
10.
BundorfMKPaulyMV.Is health insurance affordable for the uninsured?J Health Econ2006;
25: 650–673.
MathurTDasGKanti PaulU.Linking “satisfaction” to “intention-to-sell” and “sales performance” of individual agents in the health insurance market: empirical evidence from India. J Global Scholars Mark Sci2016;
26: 109–228.
13.
CroninJJBradyMKHultGT.Assessing the effects of quality, value, and customer satisfaction on consumer behavioral intentions in service environments. J Retailing2000;
76: 193–218.
14.
BabakusEBienstockCCVan ScotterJR.Linking perceived quality and customer satisfaction to store traffic and revenue growth. Decision Sci2004;
35: 1713–1737.
15.
MartinWCPonderNLuegJE.Price fairness perceptions and customer loyalty in a retail context. J Bus Res2009;
62: 588–593.
16.
BeirãoGCabralJS.Understanding attitudes towards public transport and private car: A qualitative study. Transport Pol2007;
14: 478–489.
17.
BaiBLawRWenI.The impact of website quality on customer satisfaction and purchase intentions: evidence from Chinese online visitors. Int J Hosp Manag2008;
27: 391–402.
18.
Jehu-AppiahCAryeeteyGAgyepongIet al.
Household perceptions and their implications for enrolment in the National Health Insurance Scheme in Ghana. Health Policy Plann2011;
27: 222–233.
19.
BoatengDAwunyor-VitorD.Health insurance in Ghana: evaluation of policy holders’ perceptions and factors influencing policy renewal in the Volta region. Int J Equity Health2013;
12: 50.
20.
MohammedSSamboMNDongH.Understanding client satisfaction with a health insurance scheme in Nigeria: factors and enrollees experiences. Health Res Policy Sys2011;
9: 20.
21.
PattersonPGSprengRA.Modelling the relationship between perceived value, satisfaction and repurchase intentions in a business-to-business, services context: an empirical examination. Int J Serv Ind Manag1997;
8: 414–434.
22.
GrewalDIyerGRGotliebJet al.
Developing a deeper understanding of post-purchase perceived risk and behavioral intentions in a service setting. J Acad Mark Sci2007;
35: 250–258.
23.
Jian WangYHernandezMDMinorMSet al.
Superstitious beliefs in consumer evaluation of brand logos: implications for corporate branding strategy. Eur Jof Mark2012;
46: 712–732.
DornS. Implementing national health reform: a five-part strategy for reaching the eligible uninsured.
26.
CheongPH.Health communication resources for uninsured and insured Hispanics. Health Communication. 2007;
21: 153–163.
27.
ParkerRMGazmararianJA.Health literacy: essential for health communication. J Health Commun2003;
8: 116.
28.
McCormackLBannCUhrigJet al.
Health insurance literacy of older adults. J Consum Aff2009;
43: 223–248.
29.
KronlundAWhittleseaBWYoonC.Consumer, memory, fluency and familiarity. In: Haugtvedt Herr and Kardes (eds) Handbook of Consumer Psychology. New York, NY, USA: Erlbaum, 2008, pp.77–102.
30.
FranckenDAVan RaaijWF.Socio-economic and demographic determinants of consumer problem perception. J Consum Policy1985;
8: 303.
31.
ChandramouliCGeneralR.Census of India 2011. Provisional population totals.
New Delhi: Government of India, 2011.
BaltussenRYeY.Quality of care of modern health services as perceived by users and non-users in Burkina Faso. Int J Quality Health Care 18;
18: 30–34.
39.
LimMKYangHZhangTet al.
Public perceptions of private health care in socialist China. Health Aff2004;
23: 222.
40.
AsgaryAWillisKTaghvaeiAAet al.
Estimating rural households’ willingness to pay for health insurance. Eur J Health Econom2004;
5: 209.
41.
GooldSDFesslerDMoyerCA.A measure of trust in insurers. Health Serv Res2006;
1: 58–78.
42.
PaulyMV.Insights on demand for private voluntary health insurance in less developed countries. In: Preker Alexandar S, Scheffer Richard M and Basset Mark C (eds) Private Voluntary Health Insurance in Development: Friend or Foe. Washington, DC: The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/The World Bank, 2007, pp.25–54.
43.
BerryLLSeidersKGrewalD.Understanding service convenience. J Mark2002;
66: 11–17.
44.
Van BoomWHDesmetPVan DamM. “
If It’s Easy to Read, It’s Easy to Claim” – the effect of the readability of insurance contracts on consumer expectations and conflict behaviour. J Consum Policy2016;
39: 187–197.
45.
LoewensteinGFriedmanJYMcGillBet al.
Consumers’ misunderstanding of health insurance. J Health Econ2013;
32: 850–862.
