Page 51 - Ebook health insurance IC27

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NRHM also introduced a grassroots level link worker in villages, the ASHA
worker, who is a volunteer from the community trained by the public system
to be the link of the community with the public health system.

(vi) Need for financial protection - While there is substantial awareness of health
insurance being a mechanism for financial protection of the enrollees to meet costs
of healthcare, it is important to remember that health insurance also has the potential
to influence provider behaviour.

Presence of financial protection could itself contribute to increased access to
healthcare, as it becomes easier to afford the healthcare costs. Further, by acting
as large purchasers of healthcare, health insurance schemes can have the negotiating
power which can potentially influence provider behaviour, which an individual
healthcare purchaser.

Conversely, poorly designed health insurance systems could lead to the providers
pushing up costs and reduce access to the health insurance. So ,the design of a
health insurance has implications on the accessibility , costs and quality of
healthcare.

Q4. State the problem of access and service quality in health care delivery
mechanism in India.

Ans. The guide-lines for national health planning in India were provided by a number of
committees dating back to as early as 1946 by Bhore committee, which had laid
the foundation of a comprehensive primary health care system in our country. The
guidelines were not very different from the National Health Service of U.K, and
other tax funded health provisions of different countries.

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