Table 1

Key RAMU policy features

Characteristics	Key design of RAMU
Organisation form	Public health insurance scheme with general director of the NHI-Agency appointed by the government. It is a kind of Bismarckian social security model.
Membership	Compulsory for all citizen (formal sector workers, self-employed, poor, unemployed).
Regional distribution	National territory.
Fund collection	Annual premium by affiliates, children less than 17 years old: 1000 XOF, Adult: 10000 XOF and Management cost : 2000 XOF. Contribution of the poor households and recurrent costs are paid by the Government through Government budget transfer and donations from international organisations.
Risk-pooling and sharing level	Management of the pool is done by NHI-Agency; No waiting period between enrolment and use of services.
Providers and payment mechanisms	Public-based and faith-based health centres and hospitals, Fees-for-services is the method of providers payments
Healthcare Benefit package	Preventive care, basic curative care, hospitalisation at the health centre, essential medicines on the NHI-Agency list, reference by ambulance to hospitals if referred by the attending health worker. Copayment: 0% at Health centre, 20% at hospital level except the poor
Identification strategy of the poor	Unique method of identification was applied to idenfify those to be exempted from premiums.