Only 28% percent of households in K’taka have health insurance

Rachana Ramesh | NT

Bengaluru: Only 28 percent of households in Karnataka have any kind of health insurance that covers at least one member of the household, revealed the recently-published National Family Health Survey (NFHS). It states that the coverage is the same in urban and rural areas.

The low coverage shows the inefficacy of the umpteen health insurance packages on offer.

Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY), the State health insurance scheme, the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) and the Employees’ State Insurance Scheme (ESIS) are the four dominant health insurance programmes in the state.

The survey mentions that only 22 percent of women and 26 percent of men in the 15 to 49 years category are covered by any health insurance or financing scheme. Older women and men are more likely to be covered than younger women and men. Health insurance scheme coverage is higher among men with 12 or more years of schooling than among those with no schooling.

The survey findings, however, have not surprised public health experts in the state. They point to lack of awareness as the main reason for this scenario.

Dr Shivaswamy M S, Head of Community Medicine at Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Belagavi said lack of awareness among the people is the reason for the low health insurance coverage. “Those who opt for health insurance voluntarily in the state are below 10 per cent. The state got 28 per cent enrolments because of the insurance schemes offered by various governments,” he said.

Shivaswamy said health insurance is a lowest priority thing for people belonging to the middle class and lower middle class. “For them, food, shelter and childrens’ education are the important things. That is why they do not opt for health insurance,” he said.

Shivaswamy said widening the insurance net is important to prevent people falling into a debt trap. “If people spend more than 40 percent of their annual income, it will cut a deep hole in their pockets. It is termed a ‘catastrophic health expenditure’. This will push them toward poverty. Health insurance coverage could help people from falling into the trap,” he said.

Health activist and vice-president South Indian Medical Students’ Association (SIMSA) Dr Deena Mariyam echoed Shivaswamy.

“People do not have any idea about the benefits of health insurance. There is a lack of awareness,” she said.

“Besides, there has been a decline in the insurance purchase since the pandemic as it does not cover Covid-19.

“The focus is on Covid and its related ailments while a lot of other diseases are sidelined,” she said.