Health Insurance is one of the insurance policies whose demand has been increasing
, particularly in the urban areas. It has been gaining due importance in the recent years because of the rising cost of healthcare.
Rural people cannot afford good treatment offered in private hospitals. Many people in villages who are hospitalized fall under the poverty line. Villagers financial stability is quite low and to meet all these hospital bills and other expenses they are even ready to sell their houses.
In the year 1963 Parliament of India has launched health insurance policies or schemes for the betterment of villagers. The government of India has specially focused in providing health insurance policies for villagers due to healthcare issues such as malnutrition, diseases, increasing of infant mortality rate etc. All these led to the planning and implementation of health insurance policies in villages.
Several health insurance policies were introduced to help the people of villagers. Micro health insurance scheme was one of them which provides health treatment for low costs and also quite useful in the way to check fraud cases between clients and hospitals. The objective of micro health insurance India is to provide coverage for emergency cases during hospital stay. Usually it is very difficult for middle class people to afford stay in hospital in emergency cases.
Universal Health Insurance is other scheme that is specially introduced for the people who fall under below poverty line. This Universal Health Insurance India covers all the states and centers. This scheme consists of small premiums that are affordable by most rural residents. In the year 2003 Central Government of India has introduced this scheme.
The next is Rashtriya Swasthiya Bima Yojana (RSBY), was recently introduced by government in the year 2009. This scheme is for the benefit of the people who fall below poverty line especially the villagers. Since, their income is low, it is very difficult for them to afford for healthcare treatment. This health insurance scheme is mainly focused in emergency cases for hospital stays. Unlike other schemes or plans, under Rashtriya Swasthiya Bima Yojana up to 5 members of a family can use it.
All the Health insurance policies introduced by both State and Central Governments under different health care plans are for the benefit of villagers who are considered as the back bone of the country.