About one in every five women in the WHO Southeast Asia Region, including India, are covered under a health insurance according to a new study published in The Lancet Regional Health Southeast Asia.
The study Health insurance coverage among men and women in six countries within the Southeast Asia Region (2015–2022): a multilevel analysis of Demographic and Health Surveys estimates that one in eight women in the region — defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) — were enrolled in social security schemes. At the same time, only one in thirteen had privately purchased a commercial insurance according to the study.
The WHO South-East Asia Region also known as SEARO, includes 11 member states: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, India, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Timor-Leste.
Researchers found that one in four men in the region had health insurance coverage, with the highest prevalence seen in Indonesia at over 56% and lowest in Myanmar at about 1.5%.
The study reveals that in India, the prevalence of health insurance uptake was 53% among women and 56% among men. The highest levels of health insurance coverage for women and men in the region were found in Indonesia, while the lowest levels were reported in Bangladesh and Myanmar, respectively.
Equity in accessing quality healthcare without experiencing financial hardship is key to achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) — one of the core aims of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals — especially in low- and middle-income countries in the WHO Southeast Asia Region according to the authors of the study.
They said that healthcare demands and costs are expected to rise in the region as populations age. However, high out-of-pocket expenditures remain a barrier despite health insurance programmes in the region.
The study analysed socioeconomic and demographic factors to estimate coverage under any health insurance, using data from Demographic and Health Surveys (2015-2022) conducted in the WHO Southeast Asia Region every five years.
Older age, higher education levels, and higher exposure to media were found to positively influence insurance coverage for both men and women in India, Indonesia, Nepal, Bangladesh and Myanmar.
The study said, “Beyond individual factors, contextual ones such as government commitment, design and implementation of insurance schemes and economic conditions are crucial in determining health insurance coverage.”
Traditional beliefs and a lack of trust in formal financial systems can hinder insurance adoption among South Asian communities according to the findings of the study.