Determinants of Healthcare Insurance Coverage among Women of Reproductive Age in Tanzania: A Multilevel Mixed Effect Analysis.

BackgroundHealth insurance has been one of the fundamental approaches of financing healthcare for sustainable Development goals (SDGs). There is a paucity of evidence on the determinants of healthcare insurance coverage among women of reproductive age in Tanzania, therefore this study aimed at assessing factors associated with access to health care insurance among women of reproductive age in Tanzania using national Demographic and health survey dataset. MethodologyThis study was an analytical cross-sectional study that utilized nationally representative secondary data sourced from the Tanzania Demographic and Health Surveys (TDHS) of 2022.A weighted sample of 15,254 women of reproductive age (15-49) was included in the study. A multilevel regression analysis was used to examine factors associated with health care insurance coverage. These results were presented using adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with a 95% confidence interval. ResultsIn Tanzania the proportion of health insurance coverage among women of reproductive age was 5.8% whereby majority of women subscribing to employers insurance (3.9%). Older women (35-49) were more likely to be covered with health insurance compared those aged 15-24 (AOR =2.75, 95% CI: 2.19, 3.45). Similarly, married women had higher likelihood of health insurance coverage compared to unmarried (AOR=1.60, 95% CI: 1.33, 1.92). Furthermore, educated women were more likely to be covered with health insurance than uneducated women (AOR=6.96, 95% CI: 4.74, 10.22). Similarly, women who were exposed to mass media were more likely to be covered with health care insurance compared to unexposed (AOR=1.43, 95% CI: 1.14, 1.78). ConclusionLess than ten percent of Tanzanian women of reproductive age (WRA) are registered in health insurance, which is an unacceptably low coverage. This highlights the urgent need to eliminate barriers preventing this populations access to healthcare in order to achieve Standard Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. The interplay of socioeconomic factors and access to information underscores the need for multifaceted approaches to enhance healthcare coverage among women of reproductive age in Tanzania.