Impact Evaluation of Access to Free Low-Cost Health Insurance in Nigeria's Taraba State

World Bank

Status: Active, not recruiting

Conditions: Health Status; Healthcare Utilization; Health Behavior; Economic Problems

Treatments: Other: No-Cost Health Insurance

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT07313631

NFWP_Taraba_HealthInsurance

Details and patient eligibility

About

The objective of this study is to examine the impact of a free health insurance offer on healthcare use, spending, self-reported health, and economic participation of women in Taraba state of Nigeria.

Full description

This study aims to evaluate a health-insurance intervention implemented under the World Bank-funded Nigeria for Women Project (NFWP) in Taraba State. Women in Women Affinity Groups (WAGs) received an offer for a free, 12-month policy under the Taraba State Health Insurance Agency's Basic Minimum Package of Health Services (BMPHS), which covers essential primary and secondary care, including consultations, preventive services, maternal and child health, mental health, emergency care, and laboratory services, normally priced at ₦12,000 annually. We are using a randomized controlled trial design in Bali Local Government Area (LGA). Using administrative data on WAG enrollment, we randomly assigned 1,000 WAGs (stratified by ward and mean participant age) to either treatment (n=500) or control (n=500). Within each WAG, four women were randomly selected to enroll in the study, yielding 4,000 participants (2,000 insured; 2,000 controls). The study focuses on outcomes related to healthcare utilization, health status, out-of-pocket expenditures, and women's economic participation. The findings are expected to inform policy on expanding health insurance coverage as a strategy to improve women's health and promote their economic empowerment.

Enrollment: 4,000 patients

Sex: Female

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Members of one of 1,000 randomly selected women's groups operating in Bali local government area in Taraba State, Nigeria.

Exclusion criteria

• At least 18 years old.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Health Services Research

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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4,000 participants in 2 patient groups

Treatment (Health insurance offer)

Experimental group

Description:

Randomly-selected members of selected Women Affinity Groups (WAGs) randomized to the treatment arm receive an offer for a free, 12-month health insurance policy under the Taraba State Health Insurance Agency's Basic Minimum Package of Health Services (BMPHS), covering essential primary and secondary care (including consultations, preventive services, maternal and child health, emergency care, mental health, and laboratory services).

Treatment:

Other: No-Cost Health Insurance

Control (No insurance offer)

No Intervention group

Description:

Members of WAGs randomized to the control arm do not receive the insurance coverage offer during the study period and continued with usual access to care without project-provided coverage.