Leveraging Community-Based Financing for Women’s Nonmaternal Health Care

Abstract

Given the increasing need for mainstreaming household financing for women’s nonmaternal health care and evidences on community-based financing’s contribution to women’s health care in general, this study explored their scope for nonmaternal health care in Orissa. A qualitative assessment conducted focus group discussions with rural women who met the eligibility criteria. Community-based financing provided financial access and risk protection for women’s nonmaternal health care during the previous 1 year, though not adequately. Schemes covering outpatient care (or mild illnesses) provided relatively more financial access. The major determinants of their restricted financial access were limited sum assured, noncomprehensive coverage of services, exclusion of elderly women, and the lower priority households gave to nonmaternal health care. Community-based financing requires relevant structural changes along with demand-side behavioral modifications to ensure optimal attention to women’s nonmaternal health care.