A study on farmers' experience with different health insurance options in Cambodia

This study focuses on farmers’ experiences with various health insurance options and investigates the barriers to enrolling in public health insurance and accessing healthcare services. By employing the ‘Gender Equality Lens’ and ‘Leave No One Behind’ approach, the research aims to uncover patterns of exclusion, structural constraints, and unequal power dynamics in laws, policies, and practices. Through interviews with nine farmer associations, provincial coordinators, and community leaders, as well as four focus group discussions with farmers who have used public health insurance and those yet to register, the study sheds light on factors influencing farmers’ decisions. The research reveals that farmers of diverse ages, ethnicities, genders, and geographical locations with varying educational backgrounds have different public health insurance choices. However, some farmers lack access to public health insurance options, such as the self-employed scheme, due to factors like distance, limited information sources, and family economic circumstances.