This study examines how health insurance coverage affects urban residents' access to essential medicines in Tanzania. A mixed-methods approach was employed, including surveys and focus group discussions. Data from - was analysed to assess the relationship between insurance coverage and medicine accessibility. Findings indicate that health insurance significantly improved access to essential medicines among urban residents, with a 45% increase in medication availability for those insured compared to non-insured individuals. However, there were disparities based on income level and specific medical needs. Health insurance coverage played a crucial role in enhancing the accessibility of essential medications for urban Tanzanians, although further targeted interventions are needed to address inequities. Public health initiatives should prioritise expanding health insurance coverage while also addressing socioeconomic factors that influence medicine access. Treatment effect was estimated with logit (pᵢ) =₀+^ Xᵢ, and uncertainty reported using confidence-interval based inference.
Mandava et al. (Sat,) studied this question.