STUDY ON PUBLIC SPONSORED HEALTH INSURANCE SCHEMES IN INDIA
Abstract
The main of this study is to analyse the public sponsored health insurance models in India. The main aim of government sponsored health insurance schemes is to assist the BPL families in catastrophic health expenditure and thereby provide them access to quality health care. This report goes through the working procedure of health insurance schemes, especially Rajiv Aarogyasri (Andhra Pradesh), Vajpayee aarogyasri (Karnataka) and Chief Ministers Comprehensive health insurance scheme (Tamil Nadu) and analyse how far they succeeded in their respective aims.
Introduction
Health insurance as a measure to uplift the living standard and improve the status of the poor has become popular recently in India. The health care system in India was dominated by private sector, which accounts for about 60% of hospitalisation and 80% of outpatient treatment as per NSSO survey on health care (60th round). This can lead to huge out of pocket expenditure by households on health care. Even though the idea of health insurance was an earlier concept, to use this as a measure to ease the burden on health expenditure by public (especially the poor) became popular from last five-six years, when both central and State governments introduced various publically funded health insurance schemes. This is evident from the fact that there is a steep increase in population covered under insurance from 75 million in 2007 to 302 million in 2010. In a country like India with a vast population under poverty, private dominated type of health care system can create a vicious cycle of ill health (due to poor nutrition and unhealthy living condition), poverty, indebtedness and bankruptcy. When faced with serious ailments the poor often have to sell their assets or borrow large sum of money to undergo treatment and hospitalisation.