Background: In Ethiopia, utilization of health services remains low and unevenly distributed. To ensure appropriate health care use, we need to understand factors affecting health care use, and the reasons for low levels of utilization among our community. The aim of this study was assess health service utilization and associated factors among community based health insurance members in Kewot Woreda in north Shewa zone, Amhara region, Ethiopia.

Method: A community based cross-sectional study was conducted from December to January 2017. Six hundred thirty four participants were selected using cluster sampling method and were interviewed using structured and pretested questionnaires. Data was coded, entered and cleaned by using EPI INFO version 7 and analysis was done by using SPSS version 20. Bivariate, multiple logistic regression analysis was employed to determine the relationships between health service utilization and factors associated with it. Variables which had p<=0.25 in bivariate was interred in to multivariate logistic regression.

Result: The overall health service utilization among community based health insurance members was found to be 527(83.1%). After controlling confounders using logistic regression; age (OR=37.65, 95% CI 8- 175), marital status (OR=0.17, 95% CI 0.043, 0.691) and family size (OR=2.23, 95% CI 1.179, 4.251) were significantly associated with health service utilization. Additionally distance from health facility (OR= 2.23, 95% CI 1.218, 4.092), availability of medical equipment (OR=0.32, 95% CI 0.172, 0.606), health professional respect to patient (OR=0.34, 95% CI 0.168, 0.687) and interested in health service (OR= 0.11, 95% CI 0.023, 0.552) were significantly associated with health service utilization.

Conclusion: In this study, health service utilization among community based health insurance members was higher.

Keywords: health insurance, health service, utilization