Jahangeer Ganaie
Srinagar, Jun 27: Only 13 percent households in Jammu and Kashmir have any kind of health insurance scheme that covers at least one member of the household, the National Health and Family Survey-5 (NHFS-5) has reported.
Official data reveals that only two percent women and 11 percent men of age 15-49 in J&K are covered by any insurance or financial scheme.
“Universal access to health care is the absence of any barriers in health care, including economic barriers. Adequate coverage by health insurance protects a person from financial hardships because of the costs of health care. Despite the emergence of a number of health insurance programmes and health schemes in India, only 13 percent of households in Jammu & Kashmir have any kind of health insurance that covers at least one member of the household. Health insurance coverage is higher in urban areas (19%) than rural areas (10%). In Jammu & Kashmir, three types of programmes dominate, the Employees’ State Insurance Scheme (ESIS), the State health insurance scheme and the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS),” it said.
“Only 2 percent of women and 11 percent of men age 15-49 in Jammu & Kashmir are covered by any health insurance/financial scheme. Older women and men are more likely to be covered than younger women and men. Health insurance/financial scheme coverage is higher among both men and women with 12 or more years of schooling than among those with no schooling,” it added.
As per data, 1.1 percent women and 2 percent men in 15-19 year age group are covered under any health scheme, followed by 1.4 percent women and 2.8 percent men in 20-24 age group, 2.7 percent women and 13.2 percent men in 25-34 age group and 2.8 percent women and 16.1 percent men in 35-49 age group are covered under any health insurance scheme.
Furthermore, 1.9 percent women and 14.1 percent men in urban areas and 1.7 percent women and 9.7 percent men in rural areas are covered under the health insurance scheme.
