As many as 80 per cent of persons with disabilities in India have no health insurance, and 53 per cent of those who apply face rejection, often without any explanation, A survey conducted by the National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP) in its report titled ‘Inclusive Health Coverage for All:

Disability, Discrimination and Health Insurance in India’, states that persons with disabilities continue to encounter discriminatory underwriting practices, unaffordable premiums, inaccessible digital insurance platforms and a widespread lack of awareness about available schemes. 

The report further said that many applicants were refused insurance solely based on their disability or pre-existing conditions, with particularly high rejection rates among persons with autism, psychosocial disabilities, intellectual disabilities and blood disorders like thalassemia. 

In its list of recommendation, the report outlines the need for immediate inclusion of all persons with disabilities under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, a public health insurance scheme, irrespective of age and income criteria, aligning with the 2024 order that expands coverage to senior citizens above the age of 70. 

The report further calls for enhanced coverage for mental health, rehabilitation and assistive technologies and creation of a dedicated disability inclusion committee within Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI).  The survey conducted over a period of one-and-a-half years between 2023 and 2025 covered over 5,000 persons with disabilities across 34 states and UTs. 

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)