Healthcare Delivery and Efficiency of Osun State Health Insurance Scheme (OHIS): A Case of Osogbo Local Government Area of Osun State, Nigeria

Abstract

Osun Health Insurance Scheme (OHIS) is the initiative of Osun State government to provide healthcare needs for the residents of the state. This was borne out of the crises in the health sector, ranging from personnel shortage, financial challenge, unaffordability, and infrastructural decay across the country. It became imperative for government to intervene in order to reverse the ugly trend. The study examined the success and challenges of OHIS scheme in Osogbo Local Government Area of Osun State, investigated awareness of residents, examined the impact of the scheme, assessed its success and investigated the challenges facing it. The study leaned on the theoretical foundation of Health Access Model (HAM) of Ronald Anderson. Primary and secondary sources of inquiry were employed to generate data. The primary data were drawn from semi-structured questionnaires and key informant interviews. Secondary data were sourced from OHIS records, government health policy documents, and previous studies on health insurance schemes in Nigeria. Only 280 respondents were purposively sampled. This consists of participants in formal and informal sectors. Hypotheses were tested with the aid of chi-square and regression analysis. Qualitative data were generated with 20 Key Interviews (KIIs), officials of OHIS, 20 In-depth interviews (IDIs), and officials of accredited health facilities in Osogbo. Qualitative data generated were content analysed. Findings revealed that formal sector workers access the scheme more than their counterparts in the informal sector. Beneficiaries were confident in the scheme. The study concluded that despite the success of the scheme, accessibility and affordability hindered its optimal performance. The study, therefore, recommended that OHIS be transformed into a more effective, comprehensive, and sustainable health insurance scheme that meet the needs of all residents. More funding, attracting more healthcare professionals, creating more awareness and providing ideal work conditions are central to the sustainability and improvement of the scheme.
Keywords
Accessibility, challenges, healthcare, insurance, scheme