Health insurance support on maternal health care: evidence from survey data in India

Background: Maternal health care financing is key to the smooth functioning of health systems in a country. In India, maternal health care still persists as a major public health issue. Adequate health insurance could transform the utilization of maternal health care services. Therefore, we aim to examine the health insurance policies that cover maternal health and their performance in India. Methods: The unit-level data of social consumption on health by the National Sample Survey Organizations, conducted in India (2017-18), are used. Bivariate analysis, logistic regression and propensity scoring matching are applied. Results: About 14.1% women are covered by health insurance support at the national level. Uninsured women are less likely to receive full antenatal care (ANC) services and institutional delivery. Socio-economic characteristics play a significant role in utilizing maternal health care benefits through health insurance support. Conclusions: Our study concludes that the health insurance coverage is the most significant contributor to the better utilization of full ANC and institutional delivery at the national level and hindrances in accessing them. There is a need for proactive and inclusive policy development by the Government of India to incentivize public financing through health insurance, which can shrink the challenges of public health burden and reduce the health risk.