Health Microinsurance A Comparative Study of Three Examples in Bangladesh

Abstract

The health care system in Bangladesh is mainly urban-based, elite-biased and curative- orientated. Even though nearly 75% of the population lives in rural areas, the public and private health care development has concentrated mainly in urban areas. The standard and the level of health care provided by the public sector is inadequate due to low investment, bureaucratic mismanagement, and the lack of equipment, facilities, and trained medical professionals. The strengthening of public sector health care by successive Bangladeshi governments has not improved the availability of health care services for the rural poor and in particular for poor women in rural areas.