80% of Indians with disabilities lack health insurance: Survey

As many as 80 per cent of persons with disabilities in India have no health insurance, and 53 per cent of those who apply face rejection, often without any explanation, according to a nationwide survey by the National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP).

The survey conducted over a period of one-and-a-half years between 2023 and 2025 covered over 5,000 persons with disabilities across 34 states and UTs.

In its report titled ‘Inclusive Health Coverage for All: Disability, Discrimination and Health Insurance in India’, the NCPEDP states that persons with disabilities continue to encounter discriminatory underwriting practices, unaffordable premiums, inaccessible digital insurance platforms and a lack of awareness about available schemes.

The report further claims that many applicants were refused insurance solely based on their disability or pre-existing conditions, with particularly high rejection rates among persons with autism, psychosocial disabilities, intellectual disabilities and blood disorders like thalassemia.

The report stresses the need for immediate inclusion of all persons with disabilities under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, a national public health insurance scheme by the Centre, irrespective of age and income criteria, aligning with the 2024 order that expands coverage to senior citizens aged above 70.

The report calls for enhanced coverage for mental health, rehabilitation and assistive technologies and creation of a dedicated disability inclusion committee within the IRDAI.

"Even as the government expands the Ayushman Bharat (PM-JAY) to cover all senior citizens aged 70 and above, persons with disabilities remain conspicuously excluded despite facing equal, if not greater, health vulnerabilities," said Arman Ali, Executive Director, NCPEDP.