‘74.3% families in city uninsured’
Around 74.3 per cent families in Mumbai do not have medical insurance, “The State of Health Of Mumbai” report by Praja Foundation has revealed.
Further, according to the report, the number of households having medical insurance is higher, lower down the socio-economic strata. The report has, thus, maintained that medical insurance across socio-economic classes is inversely proportional. However, experts believe that this inverse ratio between income class and health insurance exists because of the recent Rajiv Gandhi Jeevndayi Aarogya Yojana (RGJAY).
R.C. Suri, insurance consultant and former regional manger of Oriental Insurance said, “It is not necessarily true that income and health insurance are inversely proportional to each other. However, it may seem so in recent times due to the RGJAY scheme introduced by the Maharashtra government. It all of a sudden brought a large chunk of poorer population under health insurance.” On an average, Mumbaikars spend 7.1 per cent of their income on hospital/medical costs. The households spending more than six per cent of their annual income on hospital/medical costs are maximum in the lowest socio-economic strata (SEC) i.e. in SEC E (59 per cent) followed by SEC C (56 per cent), SEC D (54 per cent), SEC B (54 per cent) and are least in SEC A (53 per cent) — SEC A being the topmost in the socio-economic strata.
“We are not insinuating that the state should provide health insurance for all. But, there needs to be a debate,” said Nitai Mehta, founder trustee, Praja Foundation.
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