Does an increase in health insurance penetration push up healthcare costs?
At present, private health insurance penetration in India is very low at roughly 2%, so there is little impact on the overall healthcare costs in the country. Yet we understand that there are instances where healthcare providers are charging higher rates to insured patients versus non-insured patients. This stems from an absence of standard treatment protocols used by healthcare providers, as well as low frequency of healthcare provider accreditation. As the healthcare provider sector matures, wider acceptance of provider accreditation and adoption of standard treatment protocols would reduce instances of differential pricing. Q: What are the main considerations for CIGNA doing business in India? A: We want to find a partner who is committed for the long-term and sees health as a strategic asset to its business. We can then leverage our healthcare expertise, our global direct-marketing expertise and our strong expatriate business platform to offer unique value in India with products ta
