Microinsurance: A Case Study of an Example of the Full Service Model of Microinsurance Provision Self-Employed Women's Association (SEWA)

Using case studies, this paper discusses the provision of insurance products to the poor, delving into the mechanisms and practicalities of the Full Service model, as well as an indication of the level of satisfaction of their market. The document:

• Identifies the benefits and problems;
• Reviews the process by which a product was developed, tested, and implemented to provide information on the process itself;
• Examines issues in the product cycle;
• Looks at the four general models (Partner-Agent, Full-Service, Mutual and Provider) of insurance provision used by organisations;
• Explores the impact of grants on sustainability of insurance programmes.

Specifically, it presents the findings of a recent research on the Self-Employed Women's Association (SEWA) that provides Full Service Model of insurance provision to its clients, reviewing its activities primarily within its role as a full service insurer. The authors find that SEWA offers a broad range of insurance coverage (life, disability, health, and property) under one premium with life coverage provided as an agent and the others provided under a full service model. However, they question the impact of health insurance on clients given the amount of time it takes from hospital discharge to receipt of the claim proceeds. The paper reveals that the services of SEWA have helped them to become more autonomous and self-reliant and concludes that as a stand-alone product, the SEWA insurance is too limited to make a significant impact. However, as a component of an integrated system within the broad SEWA structure, they are able to improve the overall effectiveness of their care for members. Thus linking insurance to the SEWA Bank has produced important benefits.