The Perception and Attitude Towards Health Insurance Among the Students of Dhaka University

Abstract

With an aim to bring a vast range of the potential group of the population who are studying at different departments at university level under the umbrella of universal Health coverage, Health Insurance mechanism is the highly commendable approach. This study has been conducted in order to assess the level of perception and attitudes towards health insurance as a health care financing mechanism among the currently enrolled 500 students of diverse departments and institutes in the University of Dhaka. About 24.8% (124 of 498) of the total respondents consider health insurance as an essential tool. The health insurance has been evaluated as necessary by the 62.8% of total respondents (314 of 498). A negligible share, 2.8% (14), of the total respondents has considered health insurance as an unnecessary mechanism. The high level of interest towards health insurance has been revealed by the 23.2% (116) of total respondents. About 61% (305 of 499) respondents are interested in health insurance in order to avert the unexpected expenditure for tackling unexpected health care demand in the near future. Based on the facts explored by this study, it can be said that there is an enormous hidden possibilities to unlock the potential health insurance market among the students of Dhaka University composed of about 30,015 population and this robust mechanism of health care financing can be disseminated as well as introduced across the universities of Bangladesh which will be able to protect about 3 million university students from economic shock due to access to health care services. All stakeholders associated with government, universities, insurance agencies, pharmaceutical companies should come forward in order to build a sustainable healthy generation through introducing health insurance mechanism through an innovative, sustainable, inclusive, and affordable approach so that the generous objectives can come into reality.