Number of Health Insurance Schemes to be Enhanced

The Narendra Modi government is "conscious" of the need to provide universal health coverage and steps are being taken to increase the number of health insurance schemes, parliament was told on Friday.

"We are conscious. We are increasing the number of health insurance schemes so that we are able to bring down the out of pocket spending in India which is the major reason for pushing people down the poverty line in our country," Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel told the Lok Sabha during Question Hour.

She was replying to supplementary questions from AIADMK member K. Ashok Kumar, who claimed that more than 80% of India's population, especially those belonging to rural India, is not covered under health insurance.

"Only the rich and those who have access to communication are able to take advantage of such schemes," he said.