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PREreview of Factors Influencing Voluntary Enrollment in National Health Insurance Funds among Market Vendors: A Case of Mwanza, Tanzania

by Moulid Abdirahman Ali and Moulid Abdirahman Ali
Published
DOI
10.5281/zenodo.14555307
License
CC BY 4.0

This study provides valuable insights into the challenges faced by the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) in increasing voluntary enrollment among informal sector workers, particularly market vendors in Mwanza, Tanzania. Below are key takeaways and implications:

Key Findings:

  • Low Awareness as a Barrier: Awareness of the NHIF was a significant determinant of enrollment. Vendors with low awareness were much less likely to enroll compared to those with high awareness.

  • Perception of Health Care Quality: Negative perceptions of the quality of healthcare services provided under the NHIF significantly reduced the likelihood of enrollment.

  • Economic Factors: The primary source of income also played a crucial role, highlighting the affordability challenge in NHIF's packages relative to vendors' earnings.

    Methodology:

    • A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted using structured questionnaires.

    • Data from 323 market vendors across two municipal city markets in Mwanza were analyzed with SPSS 26.0 software.

    • Chi-square analysis helped determine associations between socio-economic factors and NHIF enrollment.

      Recommendations:

      • Awareness Campaigns: Deploy targeted information, education, and communication strategies to improve knowledge of NHIF benefits and processes among informal sector workers.

      • Quality of Health Services: Address negative perceptions by ensuring that healthcare services provided under NHIF meet high standards and customer expectations.

      • Affordability Reviews: Evaluate the affordability of NHIF packages in relation to the income levels of informal sector workers, possibly introducing tiered pricing or subsidized plans to increase accessibility.

      This study underscores the need for strategic reforms in outreach, service quality, and financial structuring to boost NHIF enrollment rates among market vendors and other informal sector workers in Tanzania.

Competing interests

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.