Overview
- An NCPEDP white paper reports that 80% of persons with disabilities lack health insurance and 53% of applicants face rejections, often without explanation.
- The nationwide study surveyed over 5,000 people across 34 states and UTs and warns that systemic barriers block coverage for nearly 16 crore Indians with disabilities.
- Researchers cite discriminatory underwriting, unaffordable premiums, inaccessible digital processes, and low awareness as the main obstacles to enrollment and claims.
- The paper urges immediate inclusion under Ayushman Bharat without age or income criteria, a Disability Inclusion Committee in IRDAI, standardized non-discriminatory premiums, accessible systems, and expanded coverage for mental health, rehab, and assistive tech.
- At the launch, Additional Secretary Manmeet Kaur Nanda called for inter‑ministerial coordination and UDID integration to track outcomes, as reporting highlighted catastrophic household costs and cases illustrating practical exclusion.