Healthcare Financing Options and Health Insurance Utilization Among Medical Doctors in Lagos State, South-West Nigeria

Abstract

Healthcare financing remains a critical determinant of access to healthcare services worldwide. In Nigeria, the burden of out-of-pocket (OOP) payments continues to dominate, while social and private health insurance schemes are striving to achieve up to 20% coverage. Although medical doctors are central to healthcare delivery, little is known about their personal utilization of health insurance schemes. The aim of this study was to assess the healthcare financing options used by medical doctors in a selected area of Lagos State, South-West Nigeria. This is a cross-sectional descriptive study which was conducted among 300 medical doctors who were selected in Mushin Local Government Area (LGA) of Lagos State using the multi-stage sampling technique. A structured, self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data on healthcare financing options and health insurance utilization from the selected respondents. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 26 and logistic regression tests were done with p-value set at 0.05. Many of the respondents were aware of existing health insurance schemes, although their utilization remained suboptimal. Out-of-pocket payment method accounted for 40.3%, followed by “discounts offered by employing hospitals” accounting for 32.3%. Others were social and private health insurance. Among the respondents who were enrolled in health insurance services, the utilization rate was 19% in the previous year. Despite high awareness levels, the utilization of health insurance among medical doctors in Mushin LGA remains limited. The reliance on alternative financing methods, particularly employer-subsidized services, underscores systemic issues affecting trust and satisfaction with formal insurance schemes. Strengthening the design and delivery of health insurance services is essential to improve uptake, even among healthcare providers themselves.