Case Study Details - The EDISON Alliance - Digital Financial Services for Health: Programmatic Case Studies from Kenya and Rwanda

This report examines the role of digital finance services (DFS) in advancing financial protection in accessing health services and supporting improved health system performance through two programmatic case studies in Rwanda and Kenya. The case studies look at: The community‐based health insurance program managed centrally by the Rwanda Social Security Board that utilizes digital technologies for client management and mobile payments for clients to pay their insurance premiums.The Kenya case study focuses on multiple programs including: 1) The Innovative Partnership for Universal Sustainable Healthcare (i-PUSH) initiative that uses the M-TIBE mobile platform to connect low-income women of reproductive age and their families to health insurance and better-quality care and 2)The Medical Credit Fund lending program that uses the CarePay technology platform and includes Cash Advance loans for health facilities and Mobile Asset Financing loans for health providers to buy medical equipment.

Impact / Outcome

Both programs from Kenya and Rwanda, 3MS and i-PUSH, contributed to increasing insurance coverage (though the DFS tools were only one of many changes in market dynamics that influenced this change). Many interviewees praised the ease of use of all functions of the system— enrollment, payment, and accessing services. Clients could easily make payments from home, helping them to make payment on time, retain coverage, and remain able to access services “When we used to pay for example NHIF, we were to go to Kiambu so as to pay but for now that we are paying via the phone you can pay at any time even at night.” – I-PUSH participant.

Funding sources

Public/Private

Key Metrics

Improve health system performance and increase access to health insurance through digital financial services (DFS)