Health Inflation At 14%, Cost Of Hospitalisation In India Up By 12.8%: Report

New Delhi: With healthcare inflation in India at 14% now, the cost of hospitalisation has soared 12.8% in 2023-2024 compared to the previous fiscal, reveals an analysis of health insurance claims. The analysis has been done by ACKO General Insurance.

The average claim size in India for 2023-24 was Rs 70,558, up from Rs 62,548 in the previous fiscal. This indicates that there has been broader surge in healthcare expenses. The average claim size for women was lower than men at Rs 69,553. For men, the same was Rs 77,543. However, these figures do not take maternity claims into account.

‘Angioplasty may cost a whopping Rs 6-7 lakh by 2030’

The analysis has revealed that the costs of common medical procedures have also increased. Angioplasty now entails expenses of Rs 2-3 lakh compared to Rs 1-1.5 lakh in 2018. According to the insurance firm, the cost could even reach Rs 6-7 lakh by 2030.

Similarly, the costs of kidney transplants have doubled from Rs 5-8 lakh in 2018 to Rs 10-15 lakh in 2024. This may further jump to Rs 20 lakh in the next six years, the company estimates.

Survey size: 60,000 claims studied

The study has analysed nearly 60,000 claims received by the company. It indicates that those in the 41-50 year age-group are at higher risk for cancer. The number of hospitalisations for treatment of neoplasms (tumours that may or may not be cancerous) is 2.8 times higher for people belonging to this middle-age group compared to those in the 31–40 year age group. “The average age of a person diagnosed with breast cancer in India is 52 compared to 63 for the US and Europe. For lung cancer, the average age of a person is 59 compared to 70 in the West,” the reports states. Around 30% of colon cancer patients in India are under the age of 50, it claims further.

‘Indians have 20-25% higher coronary artery disease mortality than other nationalities’

The report claims that Indians have a 20-50% higher coronary artery disease (CAD) mortality than other nationalities. The reason for such a situation has been attributed to dietary habits, lifestyle and genetic predisposition. According to the Global Burden of Disease Study, heart disease is the leading cause of death among women in India.

‘More C-section deliveries in private centres than govt facilities’

In private hospitals, 69% of maternity claims are related to caesarean section deliveries, the report claims. “Studies indicate that there is also a difference in the percentage of C-section deliveries between public and private medical institutions. C-section births only account for 22% of deliveries in government institutions,” the report cites.