Evolution of Government-Sponsored Health Insurance Scheme, Associated Factors and Socio-Economic Inequity in West Bengal, India

Sujoy Pal, PhD Research Scholar

Health insurance is considered to be very crucial in India due to the rising burden of non-communicable diseases and injuries, growing private health sector and poor public health spending and high out of pocket expenditure. There has been rapid expansion of publicly funded health insurance scheme in India in recent times. Here, focuses has been given on the expansion of health insurance in West Bengal which experienced a recent surge in the enrollment under health insurance schemes. National Family Health Survey 4 (2015-16) and 5 (2019-20) has been used to understand the expansion of state health insurance scheme (SHIs), associated factors behind the enrollment under the scheme and the existing socio-economic inequality. Probit model has been used to understand the determinants behind the enrollment under the health insurance schemes. Concentration index proposed by Wagstaff is implied to analyze the distribution among different socio-economic categories. Place of residence, wealth and social status, family size, age, education, having BPL care or not are the significant determinants of enrollment under the SHIs. Concentration index shows that in general the distribution of SHIs is pro-poor. It is found to be pro-rich in rural area while concentration of enrollment is pro-poor in urban area.

Keywords: Population Policies, Econometrics , Inequality, Disadvantage and Discrimination, Population and Development

See extended abstract.