India, Feb. 20 -- This paper analyses the landscape of demand-side health financing in India, focusing on its progress, challenges, and potential pathways towards achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC). Demand-side financing, which prioritises the population's healthcare needs, plays a role in ensuring equitable access to quality healthcare and providing financial protection against out-of-pocket expenditures (OOPE) on health. India's current landscape encompasses various government-financed and private insurance schemes. While there has been significant expansion in this regard in recent years, coverage gaps remain, in terms of population and services, slowing progress towards universal and equitable coverage.

The Government of India...