Tamil Nadu has the lowest out-of-pocket medical expenditure (OOPME) for hospitalisation, excluding childbirth, in public hospitals among major States in the country. However, the expenditure in private hospitals was higher in both urban and rural areas, placing the State among those with the highest OOPME levels for private hospitalisation, according to the National Sample Survey’s “Household Social Consumption: Health”.
The survey found that the average OOPME for in-patient care in government hospitals (during the last 365 days) in Tamil Nadu was ₹1,357 against the national average of ₹6,631. Across all hospitals (urban and rural), the OOPME was ₹44,535 compared to the national average of ₹34,064.
However, the out-of-pocket spending was higher for patients admitted to charitable and private hospitals. In charitable hospitals, the average OOPME was ₹1,68,697 in rural areas against ₹53,237 in urban areas. In private hospitals, it stood at ₹72,979 in rural areas and ₹75,149 in urban. The average OOPME for hospitalisation in private hospitals stood at ₹74,168, as against the national average of ₹50,508.
T. Sundararaman, former executive director, National Health Systems Resource Centre, said the State had the lowest OOPME for hospitalisation in government hospitals. “It is also low for outpatient care. This means that many persons can cope with hospitalisation expenses, likely without taking loans or borrowing money. That free care in public services is the more efficient way of financial protection. But OOPME in private hospitals is one of the highest in the country, in fact, higher than the national average. It shows the complete rise in medical inflation and the minimal benefits from insurance when it comes to private providers,” he said.
