Lok Sabha Question No. 3265 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-12-17
Subject: Expensive Healthcare
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Nalin Kumar Kateel

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No.3265 TO BE ANSWERED ON 17 TH  DECEMBER, 2021

## EXPENSIVE HEALTHCARE

## 3265:  SHRI NALIN KUMAR KATEEL

## Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

- a) whether it is true that country's population is vulnerable to catastrophic spending and impoverishment due to expensive medical treatments and healthcare facilities;
- b) if so, the details thereof;
- c) whether it is also true that inadequate expenditure by the Government on health has constrained the capacity and quality of healthcare services in the public sector;
- d) if so, the response of the Government thereto; and
- e) the necessary steps taken/proposed to be taken in this regard?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (DR. BHARATI PRAVIN PAWAR)

(a) to (e):  The World Health Organization and World Bank compile the incidence of catastrophic spending on  health  and  incidence  of  impoverishment  of  various  countries.    According  to  the  National  Health Accounts Estimates for India, the Government Health Expenditure as share of total health expenditure has increased from 28.6% in the year 2013-14 to 40.8% in the year 2017-18 and the Out-of-pocket expenditure (OOPE) has declined from 64.2% to 48.8% during the same time period.

Keeping in view of financial hardships arising due to out-of-pocket expenditure, Government has taken multi-pronged initiatives to increase the public spending on healthcare. The Government has continued to allocate more funds to strengthen the National Health Mission (NHM). Allocation to NHM has increased from  Rs.  27,989.00  crore  in  2020-21  BE  to  Rs.31,100.00  crore  in  2021-22  BE.  Under  National  Health Mission  (NHM),  technical  and  financial  support  is  provided  to  the  States/UTs  to  upgrade  capacity  and enhance quality  of  the  public  healthcare  system  including  support  for  ensuring  sufficient  supply  of  free

essential drugs at public healthcare facilities towards the objective of providing accessible, affordable and quality healthcare to all those who access public health facilities. To ensure availability of essential drugs and reduce the OOPE of the patients visiting the public health facilities, Government has rolled out the Free Drugs Service Initiative (FDSI) under NHM. Other schemes such as free transport, free diagnostics, free dialysis, and free drug / Jan Aushadhi Kendras are initiatives that have contributed to reducing OOPE.

Besides, Ayushman Bharat - PMJAY is an entitlement-based scheme, wherein all the eligible beneficiary families  are  covered  from  day  one  of  the  implementation  of  the  scheme  in  the  State/UT.  AB-PMJAY provides  health  assurance  of  up  to  Rs.5  Lakh  per  family  per  year  for  secondary  and  tertiary  healthcare hospitalizations.  As of 28 th November 2021, a total of 17.2 Crore Ayushman cards have been issued to the scheme beneficiaries. Further, a total of 2.49 Crore hospital admissions worth Rs. 28,863 Crore have been authorized through a network of approximately 24,000 empanelled public and private health care providers.

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