Eighty per cent of persons with disabilities in India have no health insurance and 53% of those who apply face rejection according to a national survey conducted by the National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP).
The survey report Inclusive Health Coverage for All: Disability, Discrimination and Health Insurance in India reveals that very often the insurers reject the applications by the disabled without any explanation. The survey conducted between 2023 and 2025 and with over 5000 disabled persons participating has revealed that persons with disabilities continue to encounter discriminatory underwriting practices, unaffordable premiums, inaccessible digital insurance platforms and a widespread lack of awareness about available schemes.
NCPEDP ED Arman Ali said, “Our report exposes the deep systemic inequities that continue to deny approximately 160m Indians with disabilities equitable access to health insurance, both public and private.”
The report says that despite constitutional guarantees, directives issued by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India and the mandates of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, persons with disabilities continue to encounter discriminatory treatment from the insurance companies.
The report also notes that many applicants are 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.
Mr Ali said that even as the government expands Ayushman Bharat social insurance scheme to cover all senior citizens aged 70 and above, persons with disabilities remain conspicuously excluded despite facing equal, if not greater, health vulnerabilities.
The survey report outlines several key recommendations including the immediate inclusion of all persons with disabilities under Ayushman Bharat (PM-JAY) without age or income criteria, aligning with the 2024 order that expands coverage to senior citizens above the age of 70, enhanced coverage for mental health, rehabilitation, and assistive technologies.
It has also suggested creation of a disability inclusion committee within IRDAI and awareness among all stakeholders of insurers and healthcare staff on disability-sensitive service delivery.