Family planning included in national or sub-national health insurance

Definition:

Inclusion of family planning costs      covered by the insurance. National and/or sub-national   insurance is defined as insurance that the federal   or sub-national government of a nation provides to its citizens for healthcare.

Data Requirement:

Evidence of FP methods and services (i.e., commodities and consultations) being covered in a country’s national health insurance program

Data Source:

National and/or sub-national (regional or state) health insurance

Indicator Type:

Yes/No

Purpose:

Ensuring access to modern contraceptives is a key strategy for reducing maternal mortality and advancing reproductive, maternal, and child health in a country. However, in many places a major obstacle to access is financial. Including free FP methods and services in national health insurance schemes reduces this barrier. This indicator tracks if a country has prioritized FP services to the extent that contraceptive methods and related costs are covered in the country’s national health insurance scheme.

Issues:

Although evaluators may find that FP is covered in the national and/or sub-national health insurance, the policy may not be implemented in practice, resulting in people continuing to pay for FP services. This indicator lacks specificity to know if there are any methods or FP services excluded from the national or sub-national health  . This indicator also does not address insurance co-payments, which may create a financial barrier to FP access.

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Policy