Role ofNon-governmental Organizations in Micro Health Insurance Schemes: A Case Study from India

Financing health expenses has been a difficult task especially for poor households in India. Iatrogenic poverty in India has been on the rise owing to a high level of out of pocket payments where the households meet the medical expenses by borrowing from usurious or selling productive assets. Despite several efforts of the government in providing affordable health care services and insurance coverage, a high level of out-of-pocket expenditures and consequent impoverishment of the poor is still evident. Realizing the need to ensure increased access to health facilities, reduce hardship financing, and improve the quality of health care, several non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have implemented micro health insurance (MHI) programs. One of the well-known MHI coverage in Karnataka in India is Sampoorna Suraksha Programme (SSP). This paper evaluates the relationship between program features and its outcomes, and the challenges faced by SSP in achieving health care goals.