A healthy nation is a progressive nation. It is time that India creates an accessible and affordable healthcare ecosystem to truly harness the power of its billion strong populations. When it comes to basic standards of health, our country has a lot to catch up. While poor access to healthcare is a critical aspect behind these grim numbers, resource availability is the other issue. An average Indian still pays around 60 per cent of healthcare expenses out of his own pocket.

The Union Budget FY 2017 rightly addresses this problem by introducing a health insurance scheme for the large mass of uninsured Indians. As per latest estimates, less than 25 per cent Indians avail of health insurance of any type, with most of those insured being employed in the government sector. With rising medical inflation and emergence of lifestyle diseases, it is imperative that we address the issue of healthcare access and affordability for India’s aspiring population.

The proposed scheme as announced in the Union Budget offers health insurance cover up to Rs.1 lakh for a family. This is an improvement over the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) scheme that focused only on the below poverty line segment of the population and offered cover of Rs.30,000 to a family of five. Further, the proposed scheme provides an additional protection of Rs.30,000 for senior citizens. This is a definite step towards ensuring health cover for Indians and in line with the government’s agenda of improving the social security scenario for its masses.

As is well known, outpatient treatment accounts for around 60 per cent of health care spends and the scheme should take cognizance of this by offering outpatient cover. Utilising technology to ensure cost effectiveness and efficient delivery is a must to ensure the success of the scheme.

olmdesk@outlookindia.com