Helth Cover

What does BRS? What are a credit and savings cooperative and a health mutual? Who are the borrowers from a microfinance institution? And how does the co-op ensure the follow-up of its clients? Through Belgian non-governmental organisation (NGO) Louvain Développement, BRS is supporting the launch of a mutuality in the West-African country of Benin. Thanks to that mutuality, the members only pay a quarter of the price for visits to a doctor and prescription medicines! Since this financial threshold was lowered, the members of the mutual health insurance go more readily to the doctor when they are ill. Local micro-finance institution CMEC (Caisse Mutuelle dEpargne et de Crédit) concluded an agreement with the mutualities: clients are only eligible for a line of credit of 45 euros or more if they place one third of the sum in a savings account, and if they take out the medical insurance. In this way, CMEC encourages everyone to join the mutuality. Such agreements are also very interesting for savings and credit cooperatives. The medical insurance means that borrowers are less likely to encounter unforeseen payment difficulties, as their costs in the event of illness are limited. This results in a much greater likelihood that the credit will be repaid to CMEC.