Abstract:
A total of 550 in-ward patients participated in the study and data were collected using a pretested Interviewer administered questionnaire. Samurdhi health insurance (SHI) was the
most common type of insurance in the public sector (13 percent ). In the private hospital, 38
percent of patients had health insurance cover and Employer sponsored health insurance
was the most common type (24 percent ). It was found that the availability of Private health
insurance (individual and group) and Agrahara health insurance (AHI) among in-ward
patients in the public hospitals were 5.4 percent and 4.4 percent respectively The
demographic and socio-economic characteristics of the insured patients showed that Private
Health Insurance (PHI) and AHI were mainly restricted to the middle and upper income
groups, and the working age (19-60 years) population in the work force All of the insured
patients in the private hospitals covet but they had got admitted to public hospitals cover but
they had got admitted to public hospitals for treatment as they could not afford the high cost
of private hospitals care. The benefit claming rate among in-ward patients in the private
hospitals was 96 for 100 episodes of in-ward treatment and it was 12 in the public hospitals.
The benefit claiming rate among OPD/GP patients in the private sector was 24 for 100
episodes of OPD/ GP care.
