The matrix for Health Financing Progress Sub-National Assessment Jammu and Kashmir, India,2024 has given rise to a positive revelation regarding the Union Territory’s health care system- private health insurance although a minor player, is reaching approximately 1.5-lakh of the population.
This demonstrates the increasing awareness of the private insurance as a secondary financing source of health support, but most importantly it provides financial protection and enhanced access to quality health care for thousands of families.
While public health schemes in Jammu and Kashmir remain the dominant core financing source of health, the uptake of private insurance is improving and further diversifying the health security mix.
It is encouraging to see that 150,000 persons are being insured from ‘catastrophic health expenditure’ by private insurance, i.e. regulated by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) which means we have a mature insurance ecosystem in the region.
This will complement the government’s insurance schemes such as Ayushman Bharat and provide opportunities for a larger segment of the population to access health services, receive timely diagnosis and/or treatment without the fear of being impoverished by out-of-pocket expenditure.
The Government ought to subsidise private health insurance penetration on a voluntary basis, at least for the middle-income class families that are currently not covered by public schemes and who are vulnerable to being shocked by health emergencies. Public private partnerships in health funding would make this a more attractive to option.
Currently, about 1.5 lakh population in Jammu and Kashmir is being covered through private insurance, which is a great start.
With the right policy and awareness mechanism, this figure could gradually increase where individuals would not be exposed to health shocks and have a decent safety net for health emergencies. This would be a good step towards a healthy future for the UT.
