Health consultant Josea Rono claims that more than half of Kenya’s population earning less than Sh250 has approach to a mobile phone. This in turn makes it possible for many to utilize mobile money platforms to conveniently mobilize funds for healthcare particularly for the low income earners.
“Mobile money platforms can be utilized to conveniently mobilize funds for healthcare during an emergency,” stated Rono adding that “faster approach to care can stop the deterioration of health conditions decreasing the costs of treatment while offering safe and convenient choices for payment.
Mobile money has made saving for healthcare more attainable for low income earners through incentives such as dedicated healthcare accounts, saving goals and bundled services.
“Through mobile money, case study companies have realized a number of positive results at the bottom of the pyramid (BoP),”stated Rono adding: “Including increased access to quality healthcare, increased savings and a wider range of health insurance products.”
However it is worth noting that there is important difference in access to healthcare across socio-economic levels.
The 2013 Kenya Household Health Expenditure and Utilization Survey demonstrated that health insurance coverage among low income earners is assumed at merely 2.9pc compared to 41.5pc among the wealthy.
Within the insured fraction of the low income earners, the NHIF covers 92.5pc, while private health insurance contributors and community-based health insurance schemes cover 3.6pc and 3.4pc.
“This statistics imply that low income earners are more susceptible to the impoverishing consequences of ill health,” stated Rono.
No comments:
Post a Comment