To make healthcare affordable, policy changes such as reduced tax on healthcare and bringing more people under insurance cover are needed, said TN Ravishankar, President, Indian Medical Association, Tamil Nadu chapter.

Addressing a conference on ‘Affordable healthcare for all – A way forward for TN,’ organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry, Ravishankar said the cost of healthcare has increased over the years because of rising cost of diagnostics and lack of access to quality care. “But putting a cap on professional services will not bring the cost down,” he added. Instead, to make healthcare affordable, the government should bring in changes at the policy level and reduce tax or provide rebate for healthcare services, he added.

Raju Sivasamy, General Secretary, Association of Healthcare Providers of India, said the state government should consider giving subsidy for electricity charges to hospitals, which are going up in the light of frequent power cuts and rising diesel prices for back-ups.

PJ Joseph, Member – Non Life, Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India, said that most of the healthcare costs currently incurred are out of pocket expenses. Insurance companies should come up with products that are sustainable and at the same time affordable to consumers at different income levels, he added.