Perceptions of Private Health Insurance Among Households in a Small Island Developing State (SIDS): The Case of Grenada
Author(s)
Renee Thomas-Venugopal, BSc, MPH1, N'Diera Viechweg, MPH2, Leselle Pierre-Romain, MSc3.
1Instructor, St. George’s University, La Tante, Grenada, 2Reach Within, St. George's, Grenada, 3St. George’s University, True Blue, Grenada.
1Instructor, St. George’s University, La Tante, Grenada, 2Reach Within, St. George's, Grenada, 3St. George’s University, True Blue, Grenada.
Presentation Documents
OBJECTIVES: The purpose of the study is to explore the knowledge, attitudes and perceptions (KAP) of Private Health Insurance (PHI) among residents in Grenada. This information is crucial to inform policy on the implementation of National Health Insurance (NHI) which is an objective of the Government of Grenada. This presentation covers perceptions as part of the broader KAP study.
METHODS: The study conducted a quantitative survey among households (n = 510) in Grenada to understand the perceptions of private health insurance. A representative sample count from each parish was informed by the 2021 National Census Survey Household Data. Interviewees were randomly selected within each parish using the National Yellow Pages phone number database. All interviewees provided consent to participate in the study. Responses were recorded using Qualtrics and the results were analyzed in RStudio.
RESULTS: Respondents tend to agree that health insurance is important regardless of household health insurance status. Despite this perception, health insurance enrollment among households was approximately thirty-one percent (31%) with most households paying out-of-pocket (OOP) for health. This corresponds with National Health Expenditure observations as OOP payments have been the dominant source of health expenditure in Grenada over the last two decades. Households provided insights into their reason for being enrolled or not enrolled in a PHI plan. The study explored financial and non-financial factors influencing the perceptions of PHI.
CONCLUSIONS: The findings from this survey can be used to inform policy for health financing in Grenada and other SIDS facing similar challenges. As many SIDS seek to explore health financing mechanisms to achieve universal health coverage (UHC) in their respective jurisdictions, it is imperative to analyze the role of PHI in that agenda.
METHODS: The study conducted a quantitative survey among households (n = 510) in Grenada to understand the perceptions of private health insurance. A representative sample count from each parish was informed by the 2021 National Census Survey Household Data. Interviewees were randomly selected within each parish using the National Yellow Pages phone number database. All interviewees provided consent to participate in the study. Responses were recorded using Qualtrics and the results were analyzed in RStudio.
RESULTS: Respondents tend to agree that health insurance is important regardless of household health insurance status. Despite this perception, health insurance enrollment among households was approximately thirty-one percent (31%) with most households paying out-of-pocket (OOP) for health. This corresponds with National Health Expenditure observations as OOP payments have been the dominant source of health expenditure in Grenada over the last two decades. Households provided insights into their reason for being enrolled or not enrolled in a PHI plan. The study explored financial and non-financial factors influencing the perceptions of PHI.
CONCLUSIONS: The findings from this survey can be used to inform policy for health financing in Grenada and other SIDS facing similar challenges. As many SIDS seek to explore health financing mechanisms to achieve universal health coverage (UHC) in their respective jurisdictions, it is imperative to analyze the role of PHI in that agenda.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2025-05, ISPOR 2025, Montréal, Quebec, CA
Value in Health, Volume 28, Issue S1
Code
HPR91
Topic
Health Policy & Regulatory
Topic Subcategory
Insurance Systems & National Health Care, Public Spending & National Health Expenditures
Disease
No Additional Disease & Conditions/Specialized Treatment Areas