Table 1.
Characteristics of MHOs in the three study sites
| Ghana | Mali | Senegal | |
|---|---|---|---|
| General characteristics of MHOs in study site | |||
| MHO scheme(s) in study site | 1 MHO: Nkoranza Health Insurance Scheme | 4 MHOs: Bougoulaville, Wayerma, Kemeni, Blaville | 27 MHOs—all MHOs in Thies region that had been operational in the 2 years preceding the study |
| Membership (in 2004) | 43 658 individuals | 1470 households; 8672 individuals | 2200 individuals (average per MHO) |
| Date established | 1992 | 2002 | 1990 |
| Participating providers | St. Theresa's Mission Hospital | 8 community health centres, 2 referral health centres and 1 regional hospital | Health posts, health centres and 2 regional hospitals |
| Enrolment requirements | Entire household enrolment encouraged | Entire household enrolment encouraged | Entire nuclear family for most MHOs |
| Premium paymentsa | Annual premiums: US$3.61 per individual for first year; US$3.01 annual renewal | US$1.04–2.08 annual household membership; in addition, US$0.28–0.54 per individual per month | Monthly premiums for most MHOs; US$0.20–0.40 per individual per month |
| Coverage of health services by MHO | |||
| Outpatient visit | No (except dog/snake bites) | Covered by all 4 MHOs at 75% for all consultations | Covered by 23 MHOs at 50–100% |
| Hospital admission | Yes | Only covered by Blaville MHO, at 75% | Covered by 22 MHOs; some MHOs have ceilings on the number of hospitalization days covered |
| Drugs | 100% for hospital admission | Covered by all 4 MHOs at 75–80% | Essential drugs covered by 23 MHOs at 50–100% |
aUS$ at exchange rate at time of survey.