Healthcare in India: Difference between revisions

[[India]] has a [[Single-payer healthcare#History of the term|multi-payer universal health care]] model that is paid for by a combination of public and government regulated (through the [[Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority]]) private health insurances along with the element of almost entirely tax-funded public hospitals.<ref name="Zodpey et al 2018">{{cite journal |last1=Zodpey |first1=Sanjay |last2=Farooqui |first2=Habib Hasan |title=Universal Health Coverage in India: Progress achieved & the way forward |journal=The Indian Journal of Medical Research |date=2018 |volume=147 |issue=4 |pages=327–329 |doi=10.4103/ijmr.IJMR_616_18 |pmid=29998865 |pmc=6057252 |doi-access=free }}</ref> The public hospital system is essentially free for all Indian residents except for small, often symbolic co-payments in some services.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.commonwealthfund.org/international-health-policy-center/countries/india|title = India &#124; Commonwealth Fund|date = 5 June 2020|access-date = 9 October 2020|archive-date = 24 December 2020|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201224001128/https://www.commonwealthfund.org/international-health-policy-center/countries/india|url-status = live}}</ref> [[Economic Survey]] 2022-23 highlighted that the Central and State Governments’ budgeted expenditure on the health sector reached 2.1% of GDP in FY23 and 2.2% in FY22, against 1.6% in FY21.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://health.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/policy/economic-survey-2023-govt-spent-2-1-of-gdp-on-healthcare-in-fy23/97488091 |title=Archived copy |access-date=2 July 2024 |archive-date=2 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240302062539/https://health.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/policy/economic-survey-2023-govt-spent-2-1-of-gdp-on-healthcare-in-fy23/97488091 |url-status=live }}</reF> India ranks 78th and has one of the [[Health spending as percent of gross domestic product (GDP) by country|lowest healthcare spending as a percent of GDP]]. It also ranks 77th on the [[list of countries by total health expenditure per capita]].

Government health policy has thus far largely encouraged private-sector expansion in conjunction with well -designed but limited public health programmes.<ref name="Palgrave">{{cite book |last1=Britnell |first1=Mark |title=In Search of the Perfect Health System |date=2015 |publisher=Palgrave |isbn=978-1-137-49661-4 |location=London |page=60}}</ref>

Indian nationals and foreigners who work in the public sector are eligible for a comprehensive package of benefits including, both public and private health, preventive, diagnostic, and curative services and pharmaceuticals, with very few exclusions, and no cost sharing.