The healthcare costs in India are rising, and as a result, preventive care is becoming a key focus for insurers. Despite progress in coverage, over 60% of healthcare expenses are still borne directly by households, highlighting gaps in traditional insurance models. Mayank Bathwal, CEO of Aditya Birla Health Insurance, explains that conventional health insurance has historically focused on hospitalization, leaving everyday healthcare expenses, such as outpatient consultations and chronic disease management, largely uncovered.<\/p>\n
To address this issue, insurers are expanding coverage to include outpatient and preventive care, which helps manage expenses more predictably and reduces avoidable hospitalizations. Affordability is also a challenge that cannot be solved by pricing alone, and reducing healthcare costs through better coordination and promoting preventive care is essential. Innovation in product design and distribution is also crucial to engage first-time buyers, particularly younger consumers who value clarity, relevance, and ease of use.<\/p>\n
The use of AI-enabled tools and assisted-digital models can simplify discovery and onboarding, while also enabling insurers to provide faster and consistent service. Building trust and retention is also important, and programs such as ABHI’s HealthReturns, which rewards policyholders for healthy behavior, can help shift the perception of insurance from a reluctant purchase to a valued product.<\/p>\n
Collaboration across insurers, healthcare providers, and policymakers is critical to creating a comprehensive health ecosystem. Digital infrastructure, such as ABHA and Bima Sugam, is creating transparency, improving claims processing, and enabling more predictable pricing. Sustained dialogue between providers and insurers helps align treatment protocols and pricing, ultimately benefiting both customers and the insurance ecosystem.<\/p>\n
ABHI’s broader vision is to move from a reactive, hospital-focused model to a comprehensive health ecosystem, with a focus on chronic condition management and wellness initiatives. This approach aligns customer health outcomes with the insurer’s sustainability goals and marks a significant shift in the role of health insurance in India. By expanding coverage to outpatient and preventive care, promoting affordability, and building trust and retention, insurers can provide more comprehensive and sustainable healthcare solutions for their customers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The healthcare costs in India are rising, and as a result, preventive care is becoming a key focus for insurers. Despite progress in coverage, over 60% of healthcare expenses are still borne directly by households, highlighting gaps in traditional insurance models. Mayank Bathwal, CEO of Aditya Birla Health Insurance, explains that conventional health insurance has […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[41,31,22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-222584","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-aditya-birla","category-care","category-insurance"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9ibIB-VU4","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":222569,"url":"https:\/\/smallnews.in\/insurance\/2026\/01\/01\/preventive-care-is-gaining-prominence-in-indian-health-insurance-according-to-mayank-bathwal-of-abhi\/","url_meta":{"origin":222584,"position":0},"title":"Preventive care is gaining prominence in Indian health insurance, according to Mayank Bathwal of ABHI.","author":"Team Small News","date":"January 1, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The rising healthcare costs in India have led to a shift in focus towards preventive care, particularly in addressing the significant out-of-pocket spending burden on households. Despite progress in coverage, over 60% of healthcare expenses are still borne directly by households, highlighting the gaps in traditional insurance models. Mayank Bathwal,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Aditya Birla"","block_context":{"text":"Aditya Birla","link":"https:\/\/smallnews.in\/insurance\/category\/aditya-birla\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":222646,"url":"https:\/\/smallnews.in\/insurance\/2026\/01\/11\/indias-health-insurance-revolution-insurers-now-prioritize-your-well-being-with-preventive-care-and-substantial-savings\/","url_meta":{"origin":222584,"position":1},"title":"India’s Health Insurance Revolution: Insurers Now Prioritize Your Well-being with Preventive Care and Substantial Savings!","author":"Team Small News","date":"January 11, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The Indian healthcare system is facing a significant challenge due to rising healthcare costs and the burden of out-of-pocket expenses, which account for over 60% of total healthcare spending. Traditional health insurance in India has primarily focused on hospitalization, leaving everyday medical needs uncovered. However, a strategic shift is underway,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Aditya Birla"","block_context":{"text":"Aditya Birla","link":"https:\/\/smallnews.in\/insurance\/category\/aditya-birla\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":222751,"url":"https:\/\/smallnews.in\/insurance\/2026\/01\/28\/insurers-to-charge-18-gst-on-agents-commission-input-tax-credit-issue\/","url_meta":{"origin":222584,"position":2},"title":"Insurers to charge 18% GST on agents’ commission, Input Tax Credit issue","author":"Team Small News","date":"January 28, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The Indian government's decision to reduce the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on health insurance premiums from 18% to 0% has had an unintended consequence on the insurance industry. Insurers are now imposing an 18% GST on commissions paid to agents and distributors to offset losses from the withdrawal of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Aditya Birla"","block_context":{"text":"Aditya Birla","link":"https:\/\/smallnews.in\/insurance\/category\/aditya-birla\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smallnews.in\/insurance\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/04\/Star-Health-Insurance-logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smallnews.in\/insurance\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/04\/Star-Health-Insurance-logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smallnews.in\/insurance\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/04\/Star-Health-Insurance-logo.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":222562,"url":"https:\/\/smallnews.in\/insurance\/2026\/01\/01\/digital-and-preventive-care-are-driving-a-shift-in-indias-health-insurance-landscape-according-to-a-report-by-bw-healthcare-world\/","url_meta":{"origin":222584,"position":3},"title":"Digital and preventive care are driving a shift in India’s health insurance landscape, according to a report by BW Healthcare World.","author":"Team Small News","date":"January 1, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"A recent report by BW Healthcare World highlights the significant shift in India's health insurance landscape, driven by digital and preventive care. The report notes that the Indian health insurance market is undergoing a transformation, with a growing focus on preventive care and digital solutions. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Care"","block_context":{"text":"Care","link":"https:\/\/smallnews.in\/insurance\/category\/care\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":222744,"url":"https:\/\/smallnews.in\/insurance\/2026\/01\/27\/health-insurance-home-loans-and-preventive-care-benefits-are-the-top-demands-of-taxpayers\/","url_meta":{"origin":222584,"position":4},"title":"Health Insurance, Home Loans, and Preventive Care Benefits are the top demands of taxpayers.","author":"Team Small News","date":"January 27, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"As the Union Budget 2026-27 approaches, Expectations are high among salaried individuals, senior citizens, and high-income earners for significant changes in the new tax regime. With rising living costs, medical inflation, and housing expenses putting pressure on household budgets, tax experts believe the government has an opportunity to fine-tune the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Care"","block_context":{"text":"Care","link":"https:\/\/smallnews.in\/insurance\/category\/care\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":222711,"url":"https:\/\/smallnews.in\/insurance\/2026\/01\/21\/international-comparison-of-health-systemsthe-performance-of-healthcare-systems-varies-significantly-across-countries-factors-such-as-access-to-care-quality-of-care-and-health-outcomes-are-often-u\/","url_meta":{"origin":222584,"position":5},"title":"International Comparison of Health Systems\nThe performance of healthcare systems varies significantly across countries. Factors such as access to care, quality of care, and health outcomes are often used to compare health systems internationally.\nKey Indicators:\n\nLife Expectancy: Average number of years a person is expected to live.\nInfant Mortality Rate: Number of deaths per 1,000 live births.\nMortality Amenable to Healthcare: Deaths from conditions that are treatable with timely and effective healthcare.\nPatient Satisfaction: Patients’ perceived quality of care and satisfaction with healthcare services.\nHealthcare Spending: Percentage of GDP spent on healthcare.\n\nCountry Comparison:\n\nUnited States:\nHigh healthcare spending (17.1% of GDP)\nAverage life expectancy (78.7 years)\nHigh infant mortality rate (5.8 per 1,000 live births)\n\n\nCanada:\nUniversal healthcare system\nLower healthcare spending (10.4% of GDP)\nHigher life expectancy (81.9 years)\nLower infant mortality rate (4.5 per 1,000 live births)\n\n\nUnited Kingdom:\nNational Health Service (NHS) provides universal coverage\nLower healthcare spending (9.8% of GDP)\nHigher life expectancy (80.7 years)\nLower infant mortality rate (3.9 per 1,000 live births)\n\n\nAustralia:\nMixed public-private healthcare system\nHigher healthcare spending (9.5% of GDP)\nHigher life expectancy (82.5 years)\nLower infant mortality rate (3.2 per 1,000 live births)\n\n\nJapan:\nUniversal healthcare system\nHigh life expectancy (84.7 years)\nLow infant mortality rate (2.1 per 1,000 live births)\nHigh healthcare spending (11.4% of GDP)\n\n\n\nCommon Challenges:\n\nAging Populations: Increasing demand for healthcare services.\nRising Healthcare Costs: Balancing quality and affordability.\nHealth Inequalities: Disparities in access to care and health outcomes.\nWorkforce Shortages: Attracting and retaining healthcare professionals.\n\nBest Practices:\n\nPrimary Care: Emphasizing preventive care and community-based services.\nIntegrated Care: Coordinating care across settings and providers.\nPatient-Centered Care: Focusing on patient needs and preferences.\nInnovative Technologies: Leveraging digital health and data analytics to improve care.","author":"Team Small News","date":"January 21, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The United States spends significantly more on healthcare per person compared to other high-income countries. In 2020, the US spent 19.5% of its GDP on healthcare, which is substantially higher than other peer countries. This gap has been widening over the past five decades, with the US spending about 7%\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Care"","block_context":{"text":"Care","link":"https:\/\/smallnews.in\/insurance\/category\/care\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/smallnews.in\/insurance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/222584","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/smallnews.in\/insurance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/smallnews.in\/insurance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smallnews.in\/insurance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smallnews.in\/insurance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=222584"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/smallnews.in\/insurance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/222584\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/smallnews.in\/insurance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=222584"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smallnews.in\/insurance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=222584"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smallnews.in\/insurance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=222584"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}