The Role of Brand Equity in Enhancing Customer Retention in the Medical Aid Society in Zimbabwe

Background of the StudyMedical aid societies (MAS) in Zimbabwe play a pivotal role in ensuring access to private healthcare services, especially in a context where public health systems are underfunded and overburdened.In fact, medical aid societies help to protect individuals and families from catastrophic health expenditures, promote access to essential healthcare and promotes Universal Health Coverage (https://healthtimes.co.zw/).Accordingly, these societies provide a mechanism for financial risk pooling, allowing members to access medical services through pre-paid premiums (https://ps-mas.co.zw/).According to the Association of Healthcare Funders of Zimbabwe (https://ahfoz.org/),Medical Aid Societies (MAS) contribute over 20 percent of the country's total health expenditure, yet only 1.6 million Zimbabweans, which is approximately 10 percent, are enrolled in such schemes.In fact, Zimbabwe's broader economic instability, characterized by hyperinflation, currency devaluation, and foreign exchange shortages, has posed significant operational challenges for Medical Aid Societies (MAS) in Zimbabwe.Thus, these include rising healthcare costs, sub-economic reimbursement rates, and high administrative expenditure Makurumidze & Moyo [1].Furthermore, delayed or non-payment of claims has strained relationships between Medical Aid Societies (MAS) and service providers, often leading to service denial for policyholders despite active coverage (https://ahfoz.org/).Such operational inefficiencies have contributed to declining public confidence in the sustainability and trustworthiness of established players in Zimbabwe such as