The Role of Health Insurance to Family Planning

World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that universal health coverage – ensuring that all people obtain health services they need without suffering financial hardships when paying for them – is a global priority for this year. They also declared that universal health coverage as “the single most powerful concept that public health has to offer”.

Several developing countries such as Indonesia, the Philippines, Rwanda, Vietnam, Kenya and Nigeria among others have demonstrated a strong commitment to universal health coverage, with many others slated to follow suit. Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia is already paving its way to offering a more extensive health insurance coverage that can cater different places in the inter-island archipelago.

Westhill Insurance Consulting Company, your guide to health insurance concerns located in Australia has been in partnership with varied insurance companies which has the goal of expanding the reach of health insurance. 

Given this momentum, it is time to think critically about how the goals of universal health coverage can be advanced through health insurance to ensure that women worldwide are empowered to choose the size, timing, and spacing of their families.

Health insurance pays for all or part of medical or surgical expenses for the insured, mitigating out- of-pocket payments as a barrier to health care and providing financial risk protection against catastrophic health expenditures. Different types of insurance models have varying funding sources and provider payment. Many countries have some form of insurance program in place and coverage has increased considerably.

Many reviews say that it would be better for insurance companies to include family planning in their policies and terms especially in over-populated countries like Indonesia which remains the 4th most populous in the world and China which tops the chart. It is well established that family planning results in benefits beyond reducing unmet need and lowering fertility—benefits such as fewer maternal and child deaths and complications from abortions; and improved nutrition outcomes among women, infants, and children. Given the high cost of addressing maternal and child health, these benefits can lead to considerable savings for health systems and insurance providers. Critics have complaints though that if this be passed, couples can make this reason for pre-marital sex which continues to be a moral issue in countries centered by this insurance idea.               

When developing insurance programs, governments and health insurance providers must carefully decide on a benefits package that clearly describes the types of services covered, along with levels of coverage and any applicable exclusions and/or limits on services. Since lack of access and inability to pay are important reasons women do not use family planning, inclusion of family planning services in health insurance programs could increase uptake. The Commission on Macroeconomics and Health has suggested criteria for choosing essential health interventions. Family planning is a strong match to the key criteria because it is a technically effective intervention, can be delivered successfully, addresses health issues that impose a heavy burden on society, and has benefits beyond the intervention itself.