Indian Insurance

West Bengal is bringing back the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana. This scheme provides cashless health insurance of up to Rs 5 lakh per family each year. All senior citizens aged 70 and above can now apply for this coverage. The government aims to ease the burden of medical expenses for its citizens.

Health insurance coverage has grown significantly in India. However, patients continue to pay most hospitalisation bills themselves. Rural patients spent about 95% of costs from their own pockets. Urban patients also paid a large portion. Hospitalisation costs have nearly doubled. The number of hospitalisations per 1,000 people remains steady.