Representative image
| Photo Credit: Getty Images

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, India is witnessing a surge in health care cost inflation making assured and standardised health care unviable for several sections of the society and pushing up health insurance premiums. Last year the country witnessed a health care cost inflation of 14% even while general inflation stood in single digits. Health care market experts note that this level of escalation is unsustainable, and market correction should be kicking in soon.

Speaking to The Hindu, Sumit Bohra, president of the Insurance Brokers Association of India (IBAI) notes that currently in India the rising health care cost and the growing health insurance premiums are feeding each other.

Health care costs

“This is a vicious cycle and at present we are witnessing claim amounts of 90%. One-third of the insurance sector has been captured by the health insurance segment which is growing at the rate of 19-21% annually and is expected to grow further,’’ he said.

Listing out the reasons for health care costs becoming dearer Mr. Bohra noted that concentration of specialised doctors in the private sector, overcrowding in government hospitals (leading to long delays etc.), the price flexibility that insurance cover offers (people spend more when they have a health insurance cover), growing demand and availability for health care interventions are all contributing factors.

Seconding this trend ACKO General Insurance in its recent report notes that hospitalisation in India soared 12.8% in 2023-2024 compared to the previous financial year according to an analysis of health insurance claims with the average claim size in India for 2023-24 being ₹70,558, up from ₹62,548 in the previous financial year.

Additionally, the report notes that the costs of common medical procedures have risen. An angioplasty now comes at an expense of ₹2-3 lakh compared to ₹1-1.5 lakh in 2018. Similarly, kidney transplant costs have doubled from ₹5-8 lakh in 2018 to ₹10-15 lakh in 2024. According to the company, this could further double in the next couple of years.

Health insurance, also known as medical insurance plans/policy, is a financial tool that covers the cost of medical treatment with a wide variety now available in the Indian market.

Despite the option the common man has been complaining about rising health insurance premium.

Physician and health activists Arun Gupta said that both he and his wife Rita Gupta (senior citizens) have written to the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) about the excessive premium increase of 450% in 3 years.

Speaking about this private insurance over Dr. Gupta said that accessing assured, quality health care is now not a matter of right but a matter of having the`right’ insurance cover. 

“The sector needs regulations in terms of capping the premiums, regulating expenditure costs to patients when they are hospitalised, bringing in a standardisation of hospital costs etc.’’ he said.

Population is vulnerable to catastrophic spending

Meanwhile, speaking about how escalating costs can be curbed, Mr. Bohra said that customers should look at taking a health insurance cover only for chronic diseases and surgeries.

“This system will help in stabilising that market,’’ he said adding that with the many players in the market customers are now also being offered schemes like fixed premiums and benefits cover.

The Central government’s policy think tank NITI Aayog in its report on health insurance notes that India’s population is vulnerable to catastrophic spending which is not limited to the poor.

“Pre-payment through health insurance emerges as an important tool for risk-pooling and safeguarding against catastrophic [and often impoverishing] expenditure from health shocks. At least 30% of the population, or 40 crore individuals – called the missing middle in this report – are devoid of any financial protection for health,’’ it said.

Absence of robust public health infrastructure

Abhay Shukla, co-convenor Jan Swasthya Abhiyan (JSA), a non-government organisation working in healthcare rights, said that they have decided to intervene in the various petitions challenging the regulation of hospital charges. 

“Currently in India in the absence of robust public health infrastructure, people have no option but to depend on private health care facilities to meet their health care needs. In the absence of effective regulation, millions of people are exposed to exploitation by private hospitals. Both the Central and the State governments are not taking measures to effectively implement central or state level legislation such as the Clinical Establishment Act 2010 (CEA),’’ he said, adding that the Central Clinical Establishment Rules make it mandatory for clinical establishments to adhere to the rates fixed by the central government in consultation with the respective state governments.

The doctors of SDM Narayana Heart Centre in Dharwad successfully performed a complex cardiac surgery on an octogenarian.

According to release from the hospital, Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) surgery was conducted on an 81-year-old high-risk patient battling Acute Coronary Syndrome and Triple Vessel Disease. Rajendra Bhat (name changed) from Uttara Kannada district was admitted with uncontrolled diabetes and acute chest pain.

Consultant cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon Sai Suraj Kotera and his team performed the CABG procedure, addressing the arterial blockages and relieving the patient’s debilitating chest pain. “The patient’s condition was critical due to his age and uncontrolled diabetes, but with meticulous planning, surgical precision, and a dedicated team, we performed the procedure,” Dr. Sai Suraj said. The patient has been discharged.

The Health Department will organise an antibiotic literacy campaign in 343 panchayats in the State to create awareness against indiscriminate drug intake.

Titled “Saukhyam Sada”, the State-level inauguration of the campaign will be carried out by Health Minister Veena George in Pathanamthitta on December 22.

The initiative is being carried out as part of the SPARK (Students Programme Against Antimicrobial Resistance Kerala) programme of the State Drugs Control Department in association with the National Service Scheme (NSS), an official statement said.

The programme is being organised with the objective of raising awareness in society by enabling students to realise the consequences of unscientific drug intake habits in the modern world, it said.

Under the drive, over 17,000 NSS volunteer students would visit houses in the 343 panchayats and create awareness about the ill-effects of unscientific antibiotic usage.

The State government and the Drugs Control Department have already been carrying out several campaigns against the indiscriminate usage of antibiotics and the “Saukhyam Sada” is the next phase of these initiatives, it added.

Avanthi Group chairman Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao offering a bouquet to Rajiv Gandhi University former Vice-Chancellor R.V. Rajkumar, at Avanthi college in Ravada in Vizianagaram district.

Former Vice-Chancellor (V-C) of Rajiv Gandhi University, R.V. Rajkumar, on Saturday asked youngsters to concentrate on upgrading their technological skills and focus on certificate courses offered by reputed national and international institutions. The former V-C was speaking during a career orientation programme for students organised by Avanthi’s Research and Technological Academy at Ravada in Vizianagaram district.

Interacting with students, Dr. Rajkumar said that the conventional and casual approach will not benefit students in today’s competitive world. Retired Visakhapatnam Port Trust Chairman T.S. Prakasha Rao suggested students to attend seminars and workshops to interact with eminent academicians and scholars. Avanthi Group chairman Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao and college principal K. Bhaskara Rao felicitated the guests and assured to conduct more career orientation programmes for students.

Elephants keep venturing into crop fields, abutting Koundinya Wildlife Sanctuary in Chittoor district.
| Photo Credit: Representative image

A farmer was killed in the attack by an elephant at Kuppanapalle village of Baireddipalle mandal in Chittoor district on December 21, Saturday, morning.

The farmer, identified as Shankarappa (60), took his cattle to a grazing land abutting the Koundinya Wildlife Sanctuary. Around 7.30 a.m., an elephant, which was prowling in the fields nearby, charged at him. The elephant lifted Shankarappa with its trunk and flung him to a distance, before disappearing into the thickets.

Some farmers working the fields nearby shifted Shankarappa to a primary health centre at Baireddipalle. Shankarappa was shifted to Government Area Hospital at Palamaner where he died while undergoing treatment.

Reports suggest that the elephant has been on the prowl in about half a dozen mandals, including Baireddipalle, V. Kota, Palamaner, Peddapanjani, Punganur, and Bangarupalem. Farmers said the movement of the elephant was unpredictable as it chose to move in a radius of over 50 km crisscrossing the fields and highways.

A farmer at Peddapanjani mandal said that an elephant attacked the night shelter in the fields a few days ago and shattered the door, besides killing a cow. “Though we have brought this to the notice of the forest officials, there has been no response so far,” he said.

In another incident, another elephant raided a paddy field at Nerukurivaripalle in Somala mandal on December 18 night and feasted upon paddy kept in the fields, besides damaging a large patch of the standing crop.

Seer of Lingayat Panchamasali Peetha of Koodalasangama Basava Jaya Mrutyunjaya Swami addressing presspersons in Dharwad on Saturday.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

The Lingayat Panchamasalis whose protest over 2A reservation before Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi resulted in violence have now approached the High Court of Karnataka seeking judicial inquiry into the lathi charge.

Addressing presspersons in Dharwad along with members of the Panchamasali Vakilara Parishath on Saturday, seer of Lingayat Panchamasali Peetha of Koodalasangama Basava Jaya Mrutyunjaya Swami said as there was no positive response from the government on probe into the incident, they were forced to approach the court.

The seer said that after the lathi charge incident, the police had filed FIRs registered against 12 of the protesters. “We had urged the government to withdraw the cases and demanded the Chief Minister’s apology on the lathicharge and also for his statement regarding not considering our demand for reservation. However, the Chief Minister has not responded to any of our demands, so we were forced to approach the court,” he said.

The seer said that on behalf of the Panchamasali community, senior counsel Prabhuling Navadagi, Pooja Savadatti, and others had filed writ petition in the High Court of Karnataka. After hearing the case, the court had issued notices to all the respondents, he said.

The seer said that he would appeal to the community members, especially those who had suffered injuries, not to get disheartened by the development. “We are with all those who suffered injuries and on December 23, we will visit their houses,” he said.

Briefing about the petition filed, Ms. Savadatti said that the seer had continued the agitation till December 19 and on December 20, they approached the Dharwad Bench of High Court of Karnataka seeking judicial inquiry into the incident. Taking up the case for hearing, the court had issued notices to 10 respondents including Government of Karnataka, Home Department, and others, she said, based on what the court decided on the case they would further chalk out their next plan of action.

She said there was no prohibitory order in place and the police resorted to lathi charge on a peaceful protest.

The Kollam district administration has decided to revise the existing off-site plan to respond to chemical emergencies and carry out subsequent rescue operations.

The emergency response plan is being updated to include more detailed information about the chemicals used in industries and those transported through roads and railways within the district.

A crisis group meeting chaired by District Collector N.Devidas has instructed the Fire and Rescue Services, Police, Health, Local Self-Governments, Agriculture, and Animal Husbandry departments, along with the Regional Transport Office, Kerala Water Authority, Pollution Control Board, Railway, BSNL, Kerala Minerals and Metals Limited (KMML), Chavara, and safety officials of the Indian Oil Indane bottling plant in Parippally to submit updated plans by January 10, according to a press release on Saturday.