Health insurance coverage up in India but not robust yet, says NFHS

In case of illness, households tilt slightly in favour of the public sector in seeking care compared to the private sector

A little over two-fifths, or 41 per cent, of households in India have at least one individual covered by a health insurance plan or health scheme, according to the recently released National Family Health Survey-5 (NFHS-5). The fifth edition of the survey, the data of which pertains to 2019-21, shows a significant improvement in health insurance coverage in the country despite it remaining far from satisfactory.

According to the NFHS-4, just 29 per cent households had at least one member covered under health insurance or health scheme as of 2015-16.

The latest report suggests that only 30 per cent of women aged