Social health insurance contributes to universal coverage in South Africa, but generates inequities: survey among members of a government employee insurance scheme

Table 3 Utilisation by insurance status

Variable	Uninsured	Privately Insured	GEMS	GEMS OPTIONS			Total sample
Variable	Uninsured	Privately Insured	GEMS	Sapphire/ Beryl/Ruby ‘low-cost’	Emerald ‘mid-cost’	Onyx ‘high-cost’	Total sample
Total sample	N = 342	N = 574	N = 408	N = 67	N = 305	N = 36	N = 1330
Mean outpatients visits/person in last month	0.33	0.80	0.74**	0.60	0.74	1.0**	0.66
Percent on chronic medication (385)	15.3	35.0	33.3*	29.2	31.0	52.8*	29.4
Percent any inpatient services in last year (161)	5.9	14.5	14.1*	7.5	15.5	14.3	12.2
Lower skilled workers	N = 97	N = 33	N = 36	N = 16	N = 20	N = 0	N = 168
Mean outpatients visits/person (in last month)	0.44	0.67	0.68*	0.56	0.62	–	0.54
Percent on chronic medication (47)	19.2	42.4	40.5*	43.8	36.8	–	28.7
Percent any inpatient services (in last year) (17)	7.2	21.2	7.9**	0.0	15.0	–	10.1

ISSN: 1475-9276