India: 'Missing middle' may be covered by universal health insurance
Source: Asia Insurance Review | Apr 2024
The Modi government may launch universal health insurance for 400m citizens who currently lack medical insurance.
The ‘missing middle’ comprises largely casual labourers or the self-employed or gig workers who are neither under the Ayushman Bharat scheme for the poor nor have any paid-for health insurance, two people aware of the development told Hindustan Times.
The Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) scheme, launched in September 2018, and state government schemes provide comprehensive hospitalisation cover to the bottom 50% of the population, estimated to be around 700m people. Another 250m people are covered through social health insurance and paid-for health insurance. The balance – both in urban and rural areas – is the missing middle.
A scheme is being worked on which may be part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision to provide insurance coverage to all. This could be implemented during his third five-year term in office if his political party wins the general election scheduled to be held in April-May 2024. A