Data showed that a significant portion of PwD, particularly those with Thalassemia and Locomotor Disabilities, are either excluded from health insurance or unable to afford it.However, a worrying finding was that only slightly more than half of the respondents with disabilities were aware of the central government’s flagship AB-PMJAY scheme, which is designed as the universal health insurance scheme for India and is touted as the world’s largest.The survey found that only 58.8% have heard or are aware of the scheme, while a staggering 41.2% of respondents with disabilities had no idea about it.71% of the respondents have never applied for any health insurance policies. “These numbers aren’t just a statistic; they represent real people left behind by the system. Health insurance is not a privilege for persons with disabilities; it’s a necessity for survival,” said Arman Ali, Executive Director of NCPEDP.Out of the 5,000 respondents surveyed, only 28.4% have applied for health insurance, and within that small section of respondents, only 46.8% could secure a health insurance policy.A staggering 53.2% of respondents have not been able to secure a policy because their applications are being rejected.Of those with insurance coverage, over 53% opted for the PMJAY scheme, followed by private insurance schemes (27%) and state government schemes (9%).
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