Assessment of Willingness to Enrol in Health Insurance After National Youth Service Among Corps Members in Rivers State, Nigeria
Abstract:
The expansion of health insurance depends not only on
new enrolment but also on reenrolment and retention of subscribers. Individuals’ decision to enrol in a health insurance
scheme may be influenced by their perception of service quality among other
factors. The NYSC members constitute a distinct population of young Nigerians,
serving their nation in various locations in the country and are covered under
a national health insurance programme during
their service year. This study assessed willingness to enrol in health
insurance after the service year and the factors influencing enrolment
intentions among corps members in Rivers State, Nigeria. A
cross-sectional study was conducted among 697 corps members in Rivers State,
South-South Nigeria, using a self-administered online questionnaire. Data were
analysed using IBM SPSS version 23. Descriptive and inferential statistics were
used in the data analysis. A
majority of the respondents, 619 (88.8%), expressed willingness to enrol in
health insurance after their service year. Among those unwilling, the main
reasons included dissatisfaction with the programme (38.5%), financial
constraints (38.5%) and poor service quality (33.3%). Perception and
satisfaction were significant predictors. Respondents with low satisfaction had
significantly lower odds of willingness (OR = 0.24; 95% CI: 0.11 ̶ 0.53; p <
0.001). Similarly, poor perception was associated with significantly lower
willingness (OR = 0.16; 95% CI: 0.07–0.51; p < 0.001). Most corps members
expressed willingness to enrol in health insurance after their service year.
However, gaps in service quality and user experience may undermine sustained
participation. There is therefore a need to prioritise improvements in service
quality to strengthen positive perceptions and encourage enrolment beyond the
service year, thereby contributing to Nigeria’s progress towards universal
health coverage.
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