MONROVIA, Montserrado – In a country where less than six percent of Liberians have health insurance, Industry Insiders are stressing the importance of medical insurance for families.

In a Bush Chicken interview, the Chief Executive Officer of Activa International Insurance Company, Saye D. Gbalazeh, said medical insurance contributes to a healthy life, reduces stress and promotes happiness in families.

The majority of insured individuals have health insurance plans that are employer-based, while the rest receive insurance through social security and other mechanisms, according to the 2013 Liberia Demographic and Health Survey.

Gbalazeh shared that medical insurance in Liberia is mostly under group insurance and covers government employees, and aid and concession workers.

“Health insurance is not cheap because the cost of [healthcare] is very high. Given the economy in the country and the unemployment, many individuals will not be able to afford the premiums for individual health [coverage],” he said.

Not surprisingly, Margibi County had the highest insured rate with 20 percent of women and 26 percent of men having health insurance. This anomaly is likely due to the segment of the population employed by Firestone in the county.

Gbalazeh said while more people are interested in being covered by medical insurance, low incomes and high unemployment also contribute to low subscription to insurance policies in the country.

“No one is responsible for this [lack of accessibility] because we are a third world country recovering from war, so all of us must help to alleviate this problem,” he said.

Although he did not state clearly how much Activa charges employers and employees for the various plans, Gbalazeh noted that premiums vary depending on the size and occupational risks of employers and their employees. Larger employers tend to receive lower premiums per client.

Activa, which has a presence in 43 African countries, insures mostly non-governmental organizations, and the company does not offer a plan for individuals to purchase insurance largely because of the costs.

An employee with a state-owned enterprise, who prefers that his employer’s identity is withheld, said health insurance reduces his family’s worries.

Jackson Kellie said his medical insurance is paid by his employer. “The entity pays US$2.00 for my medical insurance every month,” he disclosed. “All I have to do is ask for a medical slip when I or any of my family needs to go to the hospital.”

Indeed, the benefit of health insurance is an ease of mind when dealing with unpredictable healthcare costs. Depending on the arrangements, employers or a combination of employer and employee, can pay a fixed amount every month in exchange for significantly reduced or free access to services and procedures at healthcare facilities.

Activa’s Senior Manager for Life and Health Insurance, Willis Allen said the health insurance plan at Activa covers clients’ treatment costs in Liberia and at a referral hospital in Ghana following medical opinion suggesting advanced treatments that are not locally available.

Willis J. Allen, Senior Manager for Life and Health insurance, Activa International Insurance Company. Photo: Gbatemah Senah

Allen named the John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital, S.O.S. Clinic, and St. Joseph Catholic Hospital in Monrovia; Ganta United Methodist Hospital and Jackson F. Doe Memorial Hospital in Nimba; Phebe Hospital in Bong; and the Curran Lutheran Hospital in Lofa as partner healthcare centers for his company’s clients.

He added that the plan also covers treatments by traditional healers that are licensed by the government.

Featured photo by Gbatemah Senah