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India vs. US: Healthcare industryhttps://www.businessinsider.in/life/india-vs-us-healthcare-industry/slidelist/56816372.cms2017-01-27T21:23:11+05:30

India vs. US: Healthcare industry

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Jan 27, 2017, 21:23 IST

1. Public health scenario

1. Public health scenario — India lags far behind developed nations in the public health arena, with clean drinking water, adequate nutrition, sanitation and access to healthcare being long-standing challenges. The picture is much better in the US, where per person healthcare expenditure is the highest in the world at an average of $10,345 per person.
. With the Trump government coming in, the future in this regard seems uncertain.

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2. Nature of healthcare

2. Nature of healthcare — The Indian healthcare system is at a 'mixed' standpoint. While the government provides healthcare at primary, secondary and tertiary levels, there is a vast number of private hospitals with better medical facilities.
Unfortunately, most are too expensive for the average citizen. Healthcare is taken far more seriously in the US, Notably, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), better known as 'Obamacare', was signed in 2010 with a mission to reform the health insurance sector but the Trump government is trying to disarm it.
Consumer protections, regulations, subsidies, taxes, insurance exchanges and other such reforms go into making the system work. In India, a central initiative by the government will help make healthcare accessible to the vast population.

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3. Health spends as % of GDP & 4. Out of the pocket expenditure

3. Health spends as % of GDP & 4. Out of the pocket expenditure — In India the total expenditure on healthcare as percentage of GDP is just 4%, while in the US it is 17%.

70% of the Indian population pays out of their own pocket for medical expenditures which is a staggering number compared to the US, the out of the pocket expenditure is much lower at 10-12%.
5. Health insurance is mandatory in the US, unlike India
In the US, it's mandatory to get health insurance and you have to pay a penalty if for some reason you choose not to get it. Trump is trying to remove this penalty, by this year.

5. Scope of insurance coverage

5. Scope of insurance coverage — In the US, health insurance cover is generally comprehensive and includes everything from consultations for, say, a fever to hospitalization.
However in India, visits to physicians are not covered under insurance and Only 30 days pre-/60 days post-hospitalization are covered, depending on terms of the policy.

Employers in the US, as per government guidelines, are supposed to provide health insurance to their employees.

None of this is in India, where the provision or purchase of health insurance is up to the employers or individuals, themselves.

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