Srinagar, Aug. 5 -- Outside a clinic in Srinagar, a 42-year-old mechanic waits for a blood test he can't afford. His fingers are swollen, his breathing is heavy. For months, he brushed off the signs, until his body gave out.

His insurance covers hospitalization, not the check-ups that might have caught the disease earlier. Now he's being screened for chronic heart failure.

He's one of millions stuck in a healthcare catch: health insurance in India is growing, but most plans only kick in after you get sick.

The idea of insurance that helps people stay healthy in the first place still feels unfamiliar, when it should be foundational.

Across India, families are paying a steep price for this gap in coverage.

More than half of all deaths ...