Innovation at the Heart of Health Microinsurance Schemes in Africa

This paper aims to identify the main key success factors for health microinsurance projects arising from its two pilot initiatives, run with the support of PlaNet Guarantee (a subsidiary of the PlaNet Finance Group) in Benin and Madagascar from 2009 to 2012 in partnership with Sanofi. These projects wished to facilitate access to health microinsurance for a population which is vulnerable in terms of health coverage, thereby helping to reduce poverty in these countries. Lessons learned include:

• There is great synergy between MFIs and health microinsurance and the establishing of partnerships with companies or organizations that subsidize and facilitate the payment of premiums;
• It is essential to involve staff from partner institutions as much as possible, as well as members of mutual health insurance schemes as the success of health microinsurance projects is based on the membership of these key individuals in their mutual health insurance scheme;
• Choice of a compulsory membership model and the establishing of a technical platform are crucial factors in achieving satisfactory membership and retention rates;
• Significant commitment from governments and lenders to support health microinsurance for the most vulnerable populations is crucial, and more generally to support the establishing of universal health coverage.