Microinsurance - low-cost health insurance based on a community, cooperative, or mutual and self-help arrangements - can provide financial protection for poor households and improve access to health care. However, low benefit caps and a low share of premiums paid as benefits - both designed to...

It is increasingly recognized that the economic cost of a risk is greater to the insured than to the insurer, and therefore the transfer of risk can create value for the insured poor. But is there is sufficient opportunity for the poor to transfer risks to insurers? This article identifies some...

Background: Community-based health insurance (CBHI) schemes are increasingly implemented in low-income settings. These schemes limit the coverage they offer both by the types of care considered, and by applying thresholds and/or caps to costs reimbursed. The consequences of these thresholds...