So you’re back for part 2! Yesterday, we reviewed the out-of-pocket, health insurance, and corporate payment channels; today, we’ll walk through 4 other options. Let’s go!

Diaspora

These are payments made by folks in the diaspora on behalf of family members and friends living in Nigeria.

Pros: They can afford to pay higher reimbursement rates than most other channels.  

Cons: Cost of customer acquisition is also high, and you need significant connections to the diaspora to crack this channel.

Government

These are payments from government entities for services rendered to government employees or a target population.

Pros: This channel typically comes with competitive reimbursements rates and larger deal sizes. 

Cons: You need to be well connected in government circles to get and keep these deals. The channel can have long lead times, and there can be issues with payment delays and government bureaucracy.

Hospitals and Other Health Providers

These are payments from other health providers who resell your services to their customer base.

Pros: The cost of customer acquisition is lower making it relatively easy to source patients. 

Cons: You typically get much lower margins on these services, and because you don’t own the patient relationship it’s harder to build and trust and provide new/ongoing services to these customers.

NGOs/Foundations

These are payments paid by charitable organizations on behalf of their beneficiaries

Pros: These organizations make it easier to provide care to underserved populations with low income levels.

Cons: It is difficult to find and onboard NGO and foundation partners. The focus areas and funding levels of these organizations can change over time, making it challenging to build long-term relationships.