Preference and Customers’ Satisfaction with Private Health Insurance Services in Cross River State, Nigeria

It is expedient to know that the measure of progress of any service provider depends on the extent to which customers prefer and are satisfied with the services rendered; and this is a product of the quality of service provided. This study sought to investigate the preference and satisfaction of customers on private health insurance services in Cross River State, Nigeria, with a view to improving the delivery of health insurance services in Nigeria. The following hypothesis was formulated to test if there is a significant variation in the preference and satisfaction of customers on private health insurance services. The study was based on customers' satisfaction; hence, the survey design was used to obtain the expert opinion of health workers in the study area. The population of the study was the health insurance beneficiaries in the study area. The study adopted the purposive sampling method; hence, twenty (20) insurance beneficiaries who visit each health centre were the respondents which gave a total of two hundred (200) respondents. A total of one hundred and forty-eight copies of questionnaire were used for the analysis. The data analysis was done using the Relative Importance Index (R.I.I) Technique and the Kruskal-Wallis test. Results revealed that the customers were satisfied and preferred more of the following NHIS Services: Maternity care for only four live births (Ranked 1st), Reduced waiting time (Ranked 2nd), Laboratory & Radiology services (Ranked 3rd), Ease of access to hospitals (Ranked 4th). However, almost all the variables ranked above the 2.50 score except one, which is the Maternity care for more than four live births (Ranked 11th with 2.11 score). The result of the hypothesis reflected that there is a significant variation in almost all the variables of the NHIS services as opinionated by the customers. This study concluded that the customers who visit health centres are satisfied and prefers the services provided by the private health insurance scheme in Cross River State, Nigeria; however, it also asserted that the customers were not satisfied with a service provided by the health insurance scheme which is the maternity care for more than four live births