80% of Indians with Disabilities Uninsured: Report

A recent white paper highlights a significant crisis in India's healthcare system, where over 80% of individuals with disabilities are uninsured. Despite legal protections, more than half of disability insurance applications face rejection without clear reasons, indicating deep-seated systemic inequities. This exclusion affects approximately 16 crore disabled Indians, preventing access to essential public and private insurance schemes.

The report, launched by the National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People, identified unaffordable premiums, inaccessible digital platforms, and a general lack of awareness as key obstacles. Specific groups like those with autism, intellectual disabilities, and blood disorders experience particularly high denial rates, underscoring a discriminatory practice that persists despite existing laws and directives from regulatory bodies.

Recommendations from the paper include the immediate inclusion of all persons with disabilities under the Ayushman Bharat scheme without stringent criteria. It also calls for enhanced coverage for mental health, rehabilitation, and assistive technologies, alongside measures to ensure standardized, non-discriminatory premiums and accessible insurance processes. The government is considering integrating disability ID databases to better track rejections and streamline access.