An old man in his 80s faced a medical emergency that cost him Rs 40 lakh on heart surgery. A post on Reddit explained the man’s heart condition and the financial support he received from his son, who lives abroad; the situation still left them in a financial crunch.
The Reddit post has gained attention because of the huge hospital bill that the patient had to pay at such an old age, and a discussion has started on how retirees can financially prepare for medical emergencies and what kind of health insurance young adults should invest in to make sure that they are secured if a similar situation arises in the future.
The Rs 40 lakh claim is not an isolated case in India; many studies show that hospitalization for severe diseases or conditions can lead to major out-of-pocket expenses.
A study published in 2018, “Disease-specific out-of-pocket and catastrophic health expenditure on hospitalization in India: Do Indian households face distress health financing?” mentioned that people in the country face acute stress due to health financing.
The study was conducted using data from the National Sample Survey’s 71st round. The researchers found out that the average out-of-pocket bill for hospitalization for heart diseases is Rs 40,947.
According to the study, at least 28 per cent of the people who experienced a medical emergency were under distress due to the huge amount of the hospital bill that they had to pay. In many instances, they had to borrow a large sum, sell their assets or receive external help from friends or relatives.
This depicts that many families in India go through financial stress due to healthcare expenses that can lead to an imbalance between their savings and their long-term plans.
A study published in BMC Geriatrics discussed that as a person turns old his/her healthcare needs also tend to increase, which makes financial planning for medical bills even more important for people who are nearing retirement.
The study mentioned a major difference between the hospital bills of private and public hospitals. The average amount of out-of-pocket expenditure at a public hospital after hospitalization is Rs 8, 276, however the private hospitals charge up to Rs 49,700 for the same medical treatment.
The study also found out that even people who did have health insurance had to pay a major chunk of the hospital bills out of their own pocket.
This does not mean that health insurance is a waste; however, the study mentioned that people with health insurance still had to go through financial stress because private hospitals charge too much.
The Reddit post has started a discussion about how a person can prepare for a health catastrophe, as these things are not predictable.
People in the comment section wrote about health anxiety, financial anxiety and whether and when they should start to invest in healthcare insurance.
SweetRamen123 commented: As a doctor, I don't think you realise how much good medical insurance helps. If you don't have one, get one immediately! Also, the Ayushman Bharat scheme helps poor people a lot; in my institute (AIIMS), almost everything comes under Ayushman.
According to the Ayushman Bharat Scheme, eligible households get health insurance coverage worth Rs 5 lakh per family. They can get their treatment done for free at empanelled hospitals. The full treatment is covered by the government, and the patient pays nothing during admission or later.
The Ayushman Bharat package list covers several cardiac procedures.
Fragrant_Scar4321 commented, “I honestly wished that I hadn't read this post at 2 am... I have severe anxiety about losing lives. I am 23, the eldest daughter, and I don't have support from my dad. I have finished my master's in psychology, and recently got a job of 30k.”
Health anxiety and financial anxiety can go hand in hand for people who stress about their health and the medical expenditure that follows.
Learning about health insurance is equally important.
When a person is choosing a plan, they need to check the monthly premium, then the deductible, which is the amount that one must pay before the insurance kicks in, and the network. It is very important to check the list of doctors, hospitals and diseases that fall under the insurance company’s network.
It is also important to know what kind of services fall under the insurance that a person has purchased.
Recently, there have been a lot of healthcare insurance scams going on, so it is important to choose one that supports you during an emergency.
References:
1. Kastor, Anshul, and Sanjay K. Mohanty. “Disease-Specific Out-of-Pocket and Catastrophic Health Expenditure on Hospitalization in India: Do Indian Households Face Distress Health Financing?” PLOS ONE 13, no. 5 (2018): e0196106.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29746481/
2. Garg, Samir, Kirti Kumar Bebarta, and Narayan Tripathi. “Role of Publicly Funded Health Insurance in Financial Protection of the Elderly from Hospitalisation Expenditure in India: Findings from the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India.” BMC Geriatrics 22 (2022): 572.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9275032/
3. Big Apollo Spectra Hospital. “Ayushman Scheme for Cardiology Patients at Big Apollo Spectra.” May 23, 2026.
https://bigapollospectra.com/blog/ayushman-scheme-for-cardiology-patients/
