CIA Annual MeetingAssemblée annuelle de l’ICA

June 28 & 29, 2007 Ÿ Les 28 et 29 juin 2007Vancouver, BC

Denis Garand Denis@garandnet.net

Micro insurance

Millennium development goals

• ERADICATE EXTREME POVERTY AND HUNGER

• UNIVERSAL PRIMARY EDUCATION• PROMOTE GENDER EQUALITY AND

EMPOWER WOMEN• REDUCE CHILD MORTALITY• COMBAT HIV/AIDS, MALARIA AND OTHER

DISEASES• ENSURE ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY• DEVELOP A GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP FOR

DEVELOPMENT

Importance of Microinsurance

In its first report, Insuring for Sustainability, the Insurance Working Group of the UNEP FI ranked nine global sustainability issues identified as vital for insurers to address. Topping the list is climate change, followed by microinsurance, lifelong income, health, emerging man-made risks, environmental liability, natural resources, recycling and internal resource efficiency.

Microinsurance market

• 3.0 billion earn less than $2 (US) a day• 1.3 billion earn less than $1 (US) a day

• 72% of the world population has income below $3000 a year

Source: World Bank

Micro Finance

• Founded by Muhammad Yunus (Grameen Bank in Bangladesh)– Lending without collateral– Doorstep service– Small payments

– Impact on 110 million poor

• Spandana

What is Microinsurance?

• Living without insurance!• Part of solution to lower poverty.• Can Microinsurance be viable?

Who’s involved

• ILO

• CGAP

• World Bank

• Other agencies

• Insurance companies world wide

• 5 out of 10 actuaries Canadian!

Poverty and Microinsurance

• 100,000,000 become poor, each year, due to a lack of protection. (WHO 2005)

• Does the world have the correct priorities?– Health care cost Rwanda $200 million– War in Iraq $200 billion

Reasons for Decent into poverty

Why do people save or borrow - UGANDA

S.No. ITEMS SAVE BORROW

1For meeting household basic needs such as food, clothing, health services 82% 61%

2 For emergency (burial, medical) 70% 32%3 For education of self, children or siblings or others 35% 19%

4 For expanding your business 19% 15%

5 To be able to leave something for my children 12% -

6 For starting up a new business 11% 7%

7 For using later in life/old age 10% -

8 For purchase of livestock /cattle 9% 4%

9 For social reasons (wedding, travel, bride price) 8% 3%

10 For purchasing or building a house to rent out 6% -

11 To pay off debts - 9%

12 For improving a house - 6%

13 For agricultural implements - hoe, plow, tractor - 3%

Source: “Preliminary” findings from FinScope Survey (2007)

The cycle of poverty

• Most poor are very resourceful

• Major disaster, sell all assets

• Poverty is a cash flow management problem

Microinsurance in the world

• Credit life (40 million and viable)

• Accident insurance

• Life insurance

• Health (25 million and few are viable)

• Assorted general insurance and crop protection– Household goods (hut)– Weather insurance

Why micro health insurance?

• Principal reason for loan default for a MFI – health

• To maintain economic situation – does not reduce poverty

• Improve access

• To enhance overall productivity

• Problem in USA, India, Cambodia, etc.

What are the challenges?

• High mortality, morbidity, assets at risk

• Low administrative margins

• Ability to pay small amounts

• Transform your insurance organization

Successful micro insurance (or lesson we need to relearn)

• Local organization (distribution)– Brand name – Clear communication, one page contract

(pictorial)– Target high participation– Efficient premium collection– Link with other services

Successful micro insurance (2)

• Clearly defined products

• Rapid service

• Community verification of claims– Health

• Appropriate treatment protocols• Health promotion and prevention

• Data base to help manage

• Underwriting the community and insurance

• Microtakaful

Key to micro insurance success

• Distribution system

• Affordable quality care

• Efficient management

What you can learn

• Creating efficient organizations

• Creative solutions

• Understand real service issues

• Development opportunity for your staff

• TRANSFORM YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF INSURANCE AND MANAGEMENT

Learn more

• www.microinsurancefocus.org

• www.ilo.org/gimi

• www.munichre-foundation.org