 "Covid-19 pandemic, Coronavirus, home healthcare")
India’s home health care industry, estimated to be worth $8.8 billion in 2023, is expanding to smaller cities as service costs reduce and insurance cover expands, say experts.
An ageing population, a growing middle class, lifestyle diseases, emphasis on public-private partnerships and the adoption of digital technologies are other factors helping the industry alternatively known as out-of-hospital care. The industry provides at-home care and assists patients needing rehabilitation after hospitalisation.
Vivek Srivastava, founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of HCAH India, said out-of-hospital care is any service that does not require a super-specialist to be physically present and specialised infrastructure to deliver care.
“Such services will be required across the country. In fact, it may be more relevant beyond metro cities because it addresses access, affordability and standardised outcomes which are more required in smaller cities,” he said.
Home health care companies said they are trying to reduce the out-of-pocket expenditure families have to bear. According to the government’s National Health Accounts estimates for 2019-20, private out-of-pocket expenditure accounted for 47.1 per cent of the overall health care costs borne by a family.
Amol Deshmukh, founder and CEO of MedRabbits, home health care significantly decreases expenses for customers compared to what hospitals charge. “There are no room rent charges at home, with home health care minimising unnecessary doctor visits and hospital overhead costs,” he said.
Meena Ganesh, chairperson and co-founder of Portea Medical, said home health care typically costs consumers 25-30 per cent less than at a hospital.
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“The specific expenses may vary based on the types of services and packages chosen by the individual. Overall, opting for home health care presents a cost-effective alternative for consumers seeking health care services,” she said.
Out-of-hospital care until recently had limited insurance cover, usually as an extension of post-hospitalisation costs for 30 to 60 days.
“However, after the Covid-19 pandemic, insurance companies have started offering standalone or rider policies to cover out of hospital care. These are typically known as OPD cover policies and presently cover doctor visits, medication, pharmacy bills and in some cases physiotherapy at home,” said Deshmukh of MedRabbits.
Portea Medical and HCAH offer cashless homecare services through tie-ups with more than 40 insurers that include StarHealth, NivaBupa, ICICI Lombard, and GoDigit.
India’s home health care market is expected to be worth $21.3 billion by 2027 compared to $6.2 billion in 2020, said a 2021 report published by NITI Aayog. A separate study by Grand View Research said the industry would be worth $10.5 billion in 2023.
HCAH operates transition care centres (TCCs) for post-operative care, Portea Medical and MedRabbits offer at-home rehabilitation services.
HCAH India’s Srivastava said that these TCCs provide rehabilitation to patients coming out of a hospital after a stroke or accident, long term acute care and nursing services for people who have come out of intensive care units and require prolonged respiratory support.
Ganesh, of Portea Medical, said the industry’s goal is to attain better patient outcomes. “Apart from this, strategic collaborations are expanding the scope of insurance-supported, accessible homecare services to a larger audience,” she said.
