An Empirical Study on the Impact of Health Micro-Insurance on Healthcare Access and Financial Risk among BPL Households

Health Micro-Insurance, Healthcare Access, Financial Risk Protection, BPL Households, Out-of-Pocket Expenditure, Financial Inclusion, Bangalore Rural District.

Health micro-insurance has become a crucial tool for enhancing health care access and financial protection for poor-income families. The effect of health micro-insurance on the access to health care and financial risk on Below Poverty Line (BPL) households in Bangalore Rural District has been investigated through an empirical study. A descriptive and analytical research design was employed with primary data being gathered from the BPL households of 400 respondents, which were distributed on a structured questionnaire. The results indicate that health micro-insurance (HMI) substantially improves access to health care services, lowers medical debts, and boosts financial protection against health risks. Awareness was also cited as an important determinant of enrolment and utilization of insurance schemes. The results can help direct policy recommendations for the strengthening of HMI programmes in this population group to achieve greater effectiveness, accessibility and outreach.