SOCIO DEMOGRAPHIC DETERMINANTS OF PARTICIPATION WILLINGNESS IN COMMUNITY BASED HEALTH INSURANCE SCHEME: A STUDY OF COOPERATIVE SOCIETY MEMBERS IN BAUCHI STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

Cooperatives society are autonomous social institutions where divergent groups of individuals, regardless of their political, social, racial or religious differences come together to promote their social and economic development based on the values of self- help, selfresponsibility, democracy and equality, equity and solidarity. Many cooperative societies have been used severally by both government and non-government organizations to promote social and economic development in many developing countries. However, what was not clear is whether cooperative society can be used to improve the health and wellbeing of their members through health insurance schemes in Nigeria. This study examined the socio demographic determinants of participation willingness in community based health insurance scheme among cooperative society members in some selected local government areas of Bauchi state, Nigeria. A cross-sectional contingent valuation survey of 379 respondents was conducted. Data was collected anonymously and analyzed using logistic regression in spss version 21. Results showed that 76.5% of the respondents were willing to participate in the scheme. More so, for the initial premium bid of 500 Naira, 88.7% consented to pay the bid. When premium was increased to 600 Naira, 81% were also willing to pay. Hypothesis tested also revealed that all the variables entered significantly influenced participation willingness thus, socio demographic construct did not infringed participation willingness in CBHI scheme among cooperative members. Given that, socio demographics do pose any potential barriers to participation willingness or significant challenges to premium collection, it was recommended that targeted marketing strategies be employed to promote the scheme among groups that are most likely to participate. Different premium payment options should be considered to accommodate the needs of different socio demographic groups. Contextual factors such as healthcare system characteristics, economic conditions, and cultural issues should be considered alongside the result when contextualizing the findings. Flexible benefit packages should be considered to cater for the diverse needs of different groups.