Explainer: Why health insurance premiums are rising in India
Health insurance just got a lot pricier in India: recently, premiums have risen sharply, with many policyholders reporting steep increases.
A nationwide survey found many policyholders reported premium increases over the past three years (some reporting rises of 50%-200%).
Family-floater premiums have also risen for many policyholders, according to consumer reports.
Insurers cite rising medical costs as main reason
Rising medical costs are the main culprit. With more cases of heart disease and cancer, plus pricey new drugs and limited health care infrastructure, insurers say their costs are going up.
Even though companies make higher profits on individual policies, policyholders are not seeing any price breaks.
How employers are helping employees cope
To help employees cope, many companies now offer flexible benefits so you can tweak your coverage.
There is also a bigger focus on telehealth, mental health support, wellness programs, and preventive care to keep long-term costs down.
Regulatory changes and digital tools to the rescue
With premiums rising fast, health insurance is getting harder to afford for many people.
But there is hope: regulatory changes and digital tools such as AI-enabled tele-medical assessments, remote documentation and fully digital policy issuance are being used to expand access and help contain costs.