The last eighteen months of the COVID-19 pandemic have impacted the life of millions of Indians. Spurred by this terrible health crisis, thousands of people found themselves face to face with emergency hospital admissions and the maze of pills and insurance payouts that follow.

Excluding the organised sector and those who come under Ayushman Bharat, a minimum of 36-50 crore have no or minimal insurance cover. Even those who have invested in insurance policies found them falling short of their requirements.

But after the COVID-19 experience, there has been a quantum jump in buying of insurance cover.

In this episode, I will be unravelling important health challenges faced by much of the Indian middle class, who are caught between the need for high quality hospital care and the requirement for money and the right insurance cover to make the experience less stressful and more affordable.

My decades’ long experience of having worked in the health ministry and the health sector has enabled me to knit together many loose ends which will tell you where the middle class fits in.

My guests in this episode are, Dr Harsh Mahajan, the President of NatHealth, a federation representing the private health industry, Atul Bansal, a 45-year-old businessman who had recently experienced both the good and the bad of hospitalisation and settling two insurance claims and Saurabh Mishra, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Finance.

Tune in!

Host: Shailaja Chandra Guests: Dr Harsh Mahajan, President of NatHealth Atul Bansal, 45-year-old businessman Saurabh Mishra, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Finance Producer: Shorbori Purkayastha Editor: Shelly Walia Music: Big Bang Fuzz

Release date

Audiobook: 10 September 2021