Health Insurance Coverage and Access to Maternal Health Services: Findings from Nigerian Women of Reproductive Age

The study included 12,935 women who had their last delivery within 2 years of the survey. Access to maternal health services was assessed by the number of antenatal clinic (ANC) visits and health facility delivery. The results showed that only 18.5% of the women attended ≥8 ANC visits, and 40.6% delivered in a health facility. Approximately 40.0% of women who had ≥8 ANC visits and 71.8% of those who delivered in health facilities had health insurance coverage. The study found statistically significant associations between having health insurance and attendance of ≥8 ANC visits (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 1.9, 95% confidence interval (CI) [1.26 – 2.95]) and women delivering at a health facility (aOR = 2.0, 95% CI [1.39 – 2.82]). The study's findings suggest that there was a low uptake of health insurance programs among the Nigerian women in this study. Having health insurance coverage was significantly associated with ≥8 ANC visits and women delivering in health facilities. The study concludes that providing health insurance may be an important way to improve women's access to maternal health services in Nigeria. The conceptual framework for the study is based on the understanding that inequitable financial access to maternal health services has contributed to maternal deaths, especially in low- and middle-income countries. The study aimed to examine the association between health insurance coverage and access to maternal health services among Nigerian women of reproductive age. The study used a cross-sectional design and included a total of 12,935 women who had their last delivery within 2 years of the survey. The study assessed access to maternal health services by using the number of ANC visits and health facility delivery. Adjusted logistic regression models were fit to control for individual, household, and community-level factors. The study's results have implications for health care financing and maternal health services in Nigeria. The findings suggest that providing health insurance may be an important way to improve women's access to maternal health services in Nigeria. The study's results can inform policy and programmatic interventions aimed at improving maternal health outcomes in Nigeria.