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Background: Social Health Insurance schemes are integral in achieving Universal Health Coverage by enhancing the affordability of quality healthcare services. Evaluating client satisfaction with healthcare services under these schemes is crucial for their effectiveness and sustainability. Objectives: This study aims to assess client satisfaction with health services provided under the Social Health Insurance scheme and investigate the relationship between satisfaction levels and willingness to renew and recommend the scheme. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Banepa Municipality, involving 168 participants who utilized health services under the insurance scheme. Data was collected from May 2021 to August 2021 using structured questionnaires, including the Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire (PSQ-18). Sociodemographic, insurance-related, and health-related variables were considered. Bivariable and multivariable analyses were conducted to identify factors associated with satisfaction. Results: Among the participants, 51.2% were male and 48.8% were female, with 53.6% aged 40-59 years. Notably, 25.6% had no formal education, and 69.0% had family members with chronic diseases. Majority of the participants reported being more satisfied with the service (60.1%), whereas 39.9% expressed being less satisfied. The highest satisfaction scores were observed in communication (76.4%) and interpersonal manner (75.8%), while general satisfaction (67.4%) scored the lowest. Factors such as medicine availability, symptom relief, timely access to health facilities and perception of benefit package as good were significantly associated with higher satisfaction levels. Furthermore, higher level of satisfaction with the health service was strongly associated with a greater willingness to both renew and recommend the specific health service insurance to others. Conclusion: The findings underscore the pivotal role of satisfaction in influencing participants' decisions regarding insurance scheme renewal and recommendation. Addressing areas of lower satisfaction while reinforcing positive aspects can lead to a more comprehensive and satisfactory patient experience. Similarly, future research should aim to incorporate participants' expectations and health service provider perspective alongside actual service experiences.
Chhetri et al. (Fri,) studied this question.