Chennai, 31 October 2022: Star Health and Allied Insurance Co. Ltd., India’s leading private health insurance company, has launched #GiftAHealthyTomorrow, which brings out the clear need to help the underprivileged cover their health through health insurance. The message focuses on people like your security guard, your driver, your maid, etc. who are an integral and vital part of the support system.
The campaign which has as its central theme of, “6 crore Indians are pushed into poverty due to medical expenses each year,” focuses on the low penetration of health insurance (as low as 4%) in India and how we can support the less privileged by gifting them health insurance which will really benefit them at the time of need instead of cash and other gifts which are consumed immediately.
According to the United Nations Development Program Report 2021, around 22.8 crore people are living in poverty in India. With rising medical inflation, it is evident that a major chunk of the population cannot afford medical expenses solely from savings and assets. A report from the World Health Organization (WHO) shows that the percentage of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is increasing at an alarming rate and treating these diseases can be costly with medical inflation on the rise. A report by Motilal Oswal Financial Services shows that medical inflation in the year 2021 has witnessed a steep increase of 14% and the rising cost can push people belonging to low and middle-income groups into poverty.
Another common misconception that people have is that Corporate Health Insurance can be sufficient to mitigate their overall medical expenses. But reality says otherwise. Most of the corporate Health Insurance policies cover only the chief wage earners (CWEs), leaving behind their family members uninsured, who can only be covered with an additional premium. Although corporate policies provide the necessary coverage to the working force, it has their own set of limitations as well. For instance, when people switch from one job to another, it leaves them without any Health Insurance coverage, thus making them vulnerable to medical emergencies. This reinforces the necessity of having a Health Insurance Plan apart from a corporate policy.
Speaking on the importance of health insurance, Kotha Kartheek, Head Digital Transformation, Star Health And Allied Insurance Co. Ltd., said, “Health insurance is non-negotiable. Be it any strata of the society, a good health insurance plan ensures financial stability of the family. As India’s leading health insurance provider, it is our objective that every Indian should have health insurance to afford the best medical care.””
Being the first standalone Health Insurance Company in India, Star Health and Allied Insurance has secured around 16.9 crore lives in India. It has further envisioned to make Health Insurance being penetrated to the last mile. Star Health’s internal data also correlates with the findings of the World Health Organization, and to build awareness, Star Health is driving a campaign to increase awareness about the importance and necessity of Health Insurance across all sections of society.
Addressing this acute need, Star Health’s #GiftAHealthyTomorrow campaign encourages people to give those in need the gift of good health through awareness of Health Insurance and the means to buy it. Health Insurance becomes an essential investment to provide the means for a secure, happy, and healthy future. With an optimum Health Insurance policy, one can tackle medical expenses without having to drain their hard-earned savings. This campaign aims to emphasise Health Insurance as a basic need, not as a luxury. This campaign urges everyone to have Health Insurance of their own and also to gift one who is in need.
