Rise in spending on OPD treatment: Skewed primary healthcare to blame

A latest report on healthcare has blamed the skewed primary healthcare system of the country for the rise in spending on out-patient healthcare treatment. 

According to FICCI-Feedback Consulting Report, which was released on Saturday, the working population in India spends about 60 per cent on the OPD treatment annually from their pockets due to existing imbalanced primary healthcare system in India. The report further blamed the lacklustre approach of the government towards strengthening of primary healthcare units for the lowest number of primary care visits by individuals leading to hospitalisation cases.

“The objective of the report is to analyse the demand and supply needs for primary and preventive care insurance and suggest the business potential for the insurers and government stakeholders by introducing OPD insurance covers for primary care. At present, this has not been an area of focus for the Insurances, wowing to various issues that has been discussed in the report,” the report read.

As per the findings, about 16 per cent of the urban population with paying capacity and existing policy holders would be potential target group to purchase OPD covers if the primary care system is framed in a proportionate way with right government intervention.