Health Insurance Literacy and Its Impact on Patient Satisfaction with the Quality of Medical Care

Introduction. Health insurance literacy is an important aspect of population health that contributes to the functioning of the healthcare system. The significance of health insurance literacy is underscored by data showing substantial financial resources dedicated to medical care through the compulsory health insurance system (CHI). However, surveys reveal that patients' health insurance literacy is generally lower than their overall medical literacy, leading to several issues.

Purpose. The study aims to examine the main aspects of health insurance literacy and its importance for ensuring patient satisfaction with the quality of medical care.

Materials and methods. The authors analyzed scientific literature on population literacy in insurance, health insurance, medical care, etc. 80 participants in Moscow and 80 participants in Surgut were asked to fill out a questionnaire on self-assessment of their level of health insurance literacy. A series of semi-structured interviews were also conducted among doctors of the polyclinics visited by study participants.

Results. Health insurance literacy is the knowledge and practical use of information about mitigating health risks and covering treatment costs through relevant financial institutions. Health insurance literacy is a structured system of competencies that requires a systematic approach. Improving the health insurance literacy of patients is an important task of any healthcare organization, as it can significantly increase the level of patient satisfaction with the quality of medical care and, consequently, the health of the general population.

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