NITI Aayog Report: Health Reforms

On November 18, 2019, NITI Aayog released a report on “Health Systems for a New India: Building Blocks-Potential Pathways to reforms”. The report provides a framework to build a rigid health system for India.

Key findings of the Report

• The report has identified 4 focus areas namely
  • To deliver on unfinished public health agenda
  • To change the health financing from out of pocket expenditures into large insurers.
  • To integrate health services with digitization
  • To empower citizens on becoming better health buyers
• The report criticized the multiplicity of health schemes. The think tank believes that multiplicity prevents the standardization of purchasing procedures.

Recommendations of the report

• The financing structure of the health care system in the country has to be changed. The out-of-pocket expenditure should be reduced and the spending should be directed towards purchasing capabilities.
• The report recommended the practices of Suvarna Arogya Suraksha Trust of Karnataka. It went on to enroll hospitals from neighboring states. It has succeeded in its implementation in the state and is now targeting the entire 6.4 crore population
• It suggests extending the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, the cashless insurance scheme to cover the entire country. The scheme is now focusing on 10 crore poor families