Uptake and determinants of private health insurance enrollment in a country with heavily subsidised public healthcare: A cross-sectional survey in East Coast Malaysia

Malaysia’s subsidised public healthcare system is heavily reliant on government funding. Increasing the uptake of private health insurance (PHI) would alleviate the financial burden on public healthcare facilities caused by high patient loads. The study aimed to determine the uptake of PHI and its associated factors among the East Coast Malaysian populations. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted between February and June 2021. Proportionate stratified sampling was applied to select 1138 participants, and logistic regression was performed to determine the factors associated with PHI uptake. The proportion of the study samples that purchased PHI was 54.3%. Enrolment of private health insurance was associated with working in the public sector (aOR: 6.06, 95% CI: 2.65, 13.88) and private sector (aOR: 6.27, 95% CI: 2.65, 14.85), being self-employed (aOR: 9.23, 95% CI: (3.59, 23.70), being in the middle 40% household income percentile (aOR: 2.74, 95% CI: 1.95, 3.85) and top 20% household income percentile (aOR: 4.42, 95% CI: 2.87, 6.80), and living in urban areas (aOR: 1.31, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.70). Even in the presence of subsidised public healthcare, the high proportion of PHI uptake reflects a demand for private health insurance. The study suggests that PHI should be promoted among those who are employed or self-employed, the middle- and high-income groups, and urban residents. The findings may be beneficial for the government and insurance companies to improve strategies to enhance PHI uptake among these population.