Bengaluru, Mar 06: As the world gears up to celebrate Women’s Day, a recent survey by TATA AIG brings to light some concerning gaps in women’s health insurance and cardiac care in India — urging a deeper conversation around women’s health and financial preparedness.
A recent survey reveals that only 20% of women in India have adequate insurance, lacking adequate coverage for critical treatments — a stark reality, especially given that women account for almost 47% of the total insured population in the country.
The findings further highlight that Nearly 80% of women in India do not have a health insurance over Rs 20 lakh which is often required for chronic cases like Cancer or cardiac problems. An amount that may fall significantly short in the event of serious medical conditions such as cancer or cardiac surgery, where treatment costs continue to rise.
This vulnerability is striking given how frequently women interact with the healthcare system. NFHS-5 data shows institutional births have reached 88.6%, while 58.1% of women report completing four or more antenatal care visits. Engagement with formal healthcare is clearly rising — but financial readiness has not kept pace at the same speed.
The financial strain is compounded by the broader healthcare financing structure. According to National Health Accounts (2021–22), out-of-pocket expenditure still accounts for 39.4% of India’s total health spending. While this has improved significantly over the past decade, it continues to represent a meaningful burden, particularly for recurring or long-duration treatments that women are more likely to encounter over longer lifespans.
The survey also sheds light on a lesser-discussed issue — gender disparities in cardiac healthcare. While 34% of cardiologists acknowledge that women now face cardiac risks comparable to men, half of them report that women’s symptoms are frequently overlooked or misdiagnosed, leading to delayed treatment. Unlike the more commonly recognised symptoms in men, women often experience subtler signs such as fatigue or nausea, which tend to go unrecognised — a trend consistent with global research on women’s cardiac health.
Commenting on the findings, Rajagopal Rudraraju, Head, Consumer Business Claims, TATA AIG General Insurance Company, said:
“With cancer and other serious illnesses on the rise among women, financial preparedness is more critical than ever. While we see encouraging participation in health insurance, low policy retention and lower coverage amounts indicate that many women remain underinsured. Ensuring adequate coverage and improving access to preventive healthcare will be key to protecting both individual well-being and the broader healthcare ecosystem.”