Communicating Health Insurance Benefits: Perspectives of the Insurer and the Insured (Published)
Evaluating how the insurer responds to the insured expectations in terms of health insurance benefits enables better efficiency from all angles. This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of the communication of health insurance benefits from both the insurer and insured perspectives, emphasizing the importance of clear communication and the need for tailored strategies to meet diverse needs of the beneficiaries. The specific aim is to shed more light on the communication strategies used in Plateau State by examining the Plateau State Contributory Health Insurance Agency (PLASCHEMA) and their health benefits to the insured and propose strategies for more effective communication of health insurance benefits. This research employs a mixed-methods approach. Survey data collected was analyzed using SPSS software, the results presented in tables and expressed in simple percentages to identify factors influencing comprehension and satisfaction of the observed parties. Results established that the agency utilizes corporate communication strategies for both internal and external communication to communicate the benefits of health insurance to the insured. The respondents’ recommended that the use of both conventional and unconventional means should be intensified and also, information literacy is pertinent on the part of the insured through the help of the insurer to help better their comprehension level.
Keywords: Health Insurance, health insurance benefits, insured, insurer
Impact of Communication in the Success of Health Insurance Schemes in Nigeria: The Plateau State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency Perspective (Published)
The importance of communication in the success of health insurance has become glaring over the years. Communication principles are used today as Health communication control strategies, educating patients about medical care options on various disease prevention, advocacy on marketing health plans and products etc. This study evaluated the communication strategies of the Plateau State Contributory Health Insurance Agency (PLASCHEMA) on the Plateau citizens. The method of study was mixed; quantitative and qualitative approach. Both primary and secondary sources were employed in obtaining data. The population of the study consists of 6 Local Government Areas in Plateau State. Findings established that PLASCHEMA as an organization utilizes the corporate communication strategies and that there is good level of awareness of PLASCHEMA activities. The study concluded that the communication processes in place by PLASCHEMA have been yielding average level of outcomes. For better impact, the study recommended that the agency needs to diversify its communication approaches, adopt strategies to step down their campaigns in local languages, hire the services of information professional and public relation consultants as parts of the envisaged capacity building.
Keywords: Health Insurance, communication, health communication strategy, plateau state contributory health insurance agency (PLASCHEMA)