Introduction Illness and disease can befall anyone irrespective of gender, but it is observed that women planning a family are more at risk due to various antenatal and postnatal health uncertainties and issues. To counter the unpredictability of health, it is important to have a certain mitigation or risk management plan that would not only help in reducing the unforeseen costs, but would also prevent and minimise the damages or losses incurred in case of a health crisis. In such a scenario, health insurance can be beneficial as a risk management tool, as a comprehensive maternal health insurance can protect women against health hazards at a crucial stage of life. As more females are entering the labour market, their awareness regarding health issues is also increasing and consequently the demand for health facilities is rising. Recent trends show that labour-force participation rate of women in Punjab is almost one-third to the male labour force participation rate. 1 Working women usually prefer to opt for private hospitals due to the high-quality health and maternity services. The Punjab Health Survey 2016 indicated that about 47 percent deliveries are facilitated in private health facilities compared to 26 percent in public facility. The usage of private-sector clinics and hospitals has also increased over the years. 2 There is a heavy reliance on private-sector medical facilities in Punjab and childbirth in a private hospital has become quite expensive. The out-of-pocket expenditure is very high. 3 This high dependence on out-of-pocket payments results in reduction of financial resources of the households and there is also growing evidence that high number of women facing healthcare debt have faced issues in payment for the medical bills incurred. 4 The maternal mortality rate (MMR) in Pakistan for 2015 was significantly high at 178 per 100,000 live births. 5 According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), every country should make efforts to bring an end to preventable maternal mortalities and achieve the universal MMR of 70 deaths per 100,000 live births by 2030. 6 Accomplishing this goal in Pakistan would not be possible without strategic and appropriate health interventions which would provide access to skilled maternal care and, most importantly, a financial plan for such interventions. 7 In Pakistan, there has been significant focus on policy interventions to improve mother and child healthcare, but little attention has been given to the benefits that health insurance can bring to the women who fall in the low-income category of employees. Moreover, research related to health insurance in Punjab with particular focus on women planning a family is scarce. Of the total 910,461 school teachers in Punjab, 649,575 are female teachers. 8 Vol. 71, No. 4, April 2021 1089 RESEARCH ARTICLE Health insurance acceptance of female labour force: A special focus on reproductive health Muhammad Aman Ullah, 1 Sobia Rose, 2 Asima Ihsan, 3 Bushra Fatima, 4 Gulalai Khan 5 Abstract Objective: To measure the demand for health insurance policy with special focus on maternity services among working women. Method: The cross-sectional study was conducted in Lahore, Pakistan, from October 15 to November 15, 2018, after approval from the Punjab Economic Research Institute, and comprised public and private school teachers of reproductive age. The primary data was collected using a structured questionnaire. Logit model was used to determine the factors affecting the interest level in maternal health insurance. Results: Of the 110 teachers, 54 (49 %) were from private schools and 56 (51%) from public schools. The overall age range was 21-49 years, with 64 (58%) aged 31-40 years. Also, 79 (72%) teachers had completed 16 years of education. Of the total, 63 (57%) respondents were willing to buy maternal health insurance. Income, age, awareness and the type of preceding delivery were important determinants of the willingness to pay for maternal health insurance. Conclusion: Providing full insurance coverage during maternity was expected to give financial relief and to also ensure better health conditions of the teachers on re-joining the work. Keywords: Maternal health insurance, Female teachers, Logistic regression, Willingness to pay. (JPMA 71: 1089; 2021) DOI: https://doi.org/10.47391/JPMA.472 1-4 Punjab Economic Research Institute, Punjab, 5 Planning and Development Board, Punjab, Pakistan. Correspondence: Sobia Rose. Email: sobiarose.1464@gmail.com