By Prashant Nimgade, Founder, SimpliInsure.com | IRDAI-Registered Insurance Broker (Licence No: 750) _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Why health insurance ? A single hospitalisation in India today can cost between ₹1.5 lakh and ₹15 lakh — and medical inflation is rising at 14% per year, nearly double the general inflation rate. Without a retail health insurance policy, one medical emergency can wipe out years of savings and push an Indian family into debt overnight. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Table of Contents 1. The medical cost crisis in India — the numbers are alarming 2. Why corporate health insurance is not enough 3. What is retail health insurance? 4. How retail health insurance works 5. What does a health insurance policy cover? 6. Key features to understand before buying 7. How to choose the right health insurance plan 8. Best health insurance plans in India 2026 9. How much health insurance cover do you actually need? 10. Health insurance for different life stages 11. The real cost of not having health insurance 12. Common myths about health insurance — debunked 13. How to make a cashless health insurance claim 14. Tax benefits of health insurance under Section 80D 15. Frequently asked questions ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 1. The Medical Cost Crisis in India — The Numbers Are Alarming India is in the middle of a silent healthcare affordability crisis. Consider these facts: • Medical inflation in India runs at 13–15% per year — far above the 5–6% general inflation rate. A procedure that costs ₹2 lakh today will cost ₹8 lakh in 10 years. • 63% of all healthcare spending in India is out-of-pocket — meaning most Indians pay medical bills directly from their own pockets, according to the National Health Accounts data. • 55 million Indians are pushed into poverty every year due to catastrophic health expenditure, according to the World Health Organisation. • The average cost of cardiac bypass surgery in a private hospital in India: ₹3–5 lakh. A cancer treatment course: ₹5–25 lakh. A kidney transplant: ₹8–15 lakh.