Only one-fifth of the rural and urban Indian population has access to private and government medical services. The remaining people tend to rely on their life savings at the time of emergencies or borrow money on interest for the same.

According to the reports of National Survey Office (NSO) of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, the percentage of the Indian population (rural – 14.1% and urban – 19.1%) that has any health insurance coverage is quite less. This means a majority percentage of people are vulnerable to medical-related financial risks.

Health expenses have pushed people who were above the poverty line back into poverty. But this certainly cannot keep continuing. Before the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) scheme was launched, only 12.9% of the rural population and 8.9% of the urban population was covered under the central government insurance scheme.

After the launch of PMJAY scheme in September 2019, coverage of INR 5 lakh has been provided to over 100 million vulnerable families identified by the Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC).

According to the latest data, as latest as of December 1, 2019, over 67 million people were issued an ecard that qualifies them to seek free health services at government and private hospitals. As a result of this, 40% of the Indian population now has access to adequate health insurance plans.

Many people in India are still reluctant to buy health insurance coverage, mainly because of the high premiums charged and people who are willing to pay that amount are low. Moreover, most of the rural population has limited access to healthcare facilities like expert doctors, medication, and hospital. Thus, they are less likely to purchase health insurance plans.

Because of this, the health expenses are paid from personal savings or borrowing money from the bank. This pushes people further into poverty. Also, poor people who cannot afford healthcare facilities tend to avoid seeking medication. They thus incur critical illnesses such as cancer, tuberculosis, and more, which are all the more expensive to cure.

For people to have access to adequate health coverage, the government has launched the Ayushman Bharat Yojana. This scheme came into existence after the Union Budget of 2019 and is said to resolve the medical-related concerns of most Indians.

However, before you register for Ayushman Bharat Yojana, you need to check whether you are eligible for it or not. The Ayushman Bharat Yojana eligibility can be checked online. Once you know that you are eligible for the scheme, you can move ahead and apply for Ayushman Bharat Yojana registration. Once the registration is done, you and your beneficiaries can avail the health services under this plan.

Over To You!

Everyone needs to have access to basic health insurance. With the PMJAY scheme in place, we believe that millions of people across the country will benefit from the same. You can read more about the Ayushman Bharat registration process to ascertain if you are eligible for this scheme.

Also, it is highly advisable to seek health coverage if you have older parents or young children to take care of. In case you are looking for an adequate plan that covers the medical needs of you and your loved ones, browse through Bajaj Allianz health insurance plans available on Finserv MARKETS.