Most providers of health microinsurance have struggled to achieve sustainability without public or donor support, despite health insurance being one of the most sought-after microinsurance products in many regions of the developing world. A lack of data and adequate skills for pricing, as well as the challenges around effectively forming and managing provider networks are two key factors that adversely affect health microinsurance’s sustainability.

FinMark Trust’s literature review on health microinsurance schemes across Kenya, Ghana, Colombia and India, focuses on key elements of health insurance risks that can practically be taken into account in price-setting, and explores the extent to which open sources of data can be used to develop a more consistent approach to premium determination for health microinsurance products.