NAC Recommends Health Insurance for All Indians

All Indians may soon have health insurance coverage, if the National Advisory Council (NAC), headed by Mrs Sonia Gandhi has its way. The possibility of providing universal health insurance coverage across the country was presented by K Srinath Reddy, President, Public Health Foundation of India and Chairman of the High Level Expert Group (HLEG) constituted by the Planning Commission on Universal Health Coverage for India.

It is planned that the public health infrastructure will be evolved in a way that dependence on private health service providers is minimal.

Every citizen, will then be entitled to a national health package without having to pay user fees for the services.

The HLEG has recommended doubling of expenditure on health to 2.5 per cent of the gross domestic product by 2017 and to three per cent by 2022.

At present, the spending on health is Rs 26,760 crore which works out to 1.2 per cent of the GDP.



Source-Medindia