American Indian Insurance

No, not American Indian as in native American. Rather it is health insurance with a hefty discount.

As long as you agree to receive treatment in India.

American health insurance firms, particularly from the US are offering their customers a carrot: If you’re unwell, you've got two options. Either you pay the regular premium and get admitted to a hospital in your country of residence.

Alternatively, you choose to go to India for treatment; in return for which you get a hefty 30-40% discount on the annual premium you pay.

That's a major difference.


Hospitals in India usually charge around $6,000-8,000 for coronary bypass surgery, $6,500 for a joint replacement and $6,500 for a hip resurfacing, which represent a small fraction of the typical costs at US hospitals. "India is not just known for its outsourced back-office skills any more, like reading of X-rays, medical transcription or billing. It's the actual clinical care that is now being outsourced," says Bali.

How far will this trend go?