Anand Roy, MD & CEO, Star Health said,“India is witnessing a meaningful shift in women’s approach to healthcare and financial protection.Younger women are engaging more in preventive care and integrating health insurance earlier into financial planning—viewing it as a foundational element of security.”
A recent survey by Tata AIG General Insurance reveals that only 20% of women in India have adequate insurance, lacking adequate coverage for critical treatments — a stark reality, especially given that women account for almost 47% of the total insured population in the country.
Mumbai:On the eve of Women’s Day, two recent separate reports by TATA AIG and Star Health Insurance bring to light some concerning gaps in women’s health insurance and cardiac care in India — urging a deeper conversation around women’s health and financial preparedness.
A recent survey by Tata AIG General Insurance reveals that only 20% of women in India have adequate insurance, lacking adequate coverage for critical treatments — a stark reality, especially given that women account for almost 47% of the total insured population in the country.
The findings further highlight that Nearly 80% of women in India do not have a health insurance over Rs 20 lakh which is often required for chronic cases like Cancer or cardiac problems. An amount that may fall significantly short in the event of serious medical conditions such as cancer or cardiac surgery, where treatment costs continue to rise.
This vulnerability is striking given how frequently women interact with the healthcare system. NFHS-5 data shows institutional births have reached 88.6%, while 58.1% of women report completing four or more antenatal care visits. Engagement with formal healthcare is clearly rising — but financial readiness has not kept pace at the same speed,said Tata AIG report.
The survey by Tata AIG General Insurance also sheds light on a lesser-discussed issue — gender disparities in cardiac healthcare. While 34% of cardiologists acknowledge that women now face cardiac risks comparable to men, half of them report that women’s symptoms are frequently overlooked or misdiagnosed, leading to delayed treatment. Unlike the more commonly recognised symptoms in men, women often experience subtler signs such as fatigue or nausea, which tend to go unrecognised — a trend consistent with global research on women’s cardiac health.
Another report by Star Health Insurance released data from its retail health portfolio covering over 10 million women lives. The data highlights a structural shift in healthcare behaviour among Indian women
Women currently account for 21% of all new retail health policies where they are the primary policyholders, said the Star Health report.
Preventive health check-ups among women have grown 127% year-on-year (9M FY26 vs 9M FY25),with uptake among women aged 40 years and above increasing by 143%. These trends signal rising awareness around early detection and routine health monitoring, while also indicating that health insurance is increasingly being integrated into early-stage financial planning,stated Star Health Insurance.
Anand Roy, MD & CEO, Star Health said,“India is witnessing a meaningful shift in women’s approach to healthcare and financial protection.Younger women are engaging more in preventive care and integrating health insurance earlier into financial planning—viewing it as a foundational element of security.”
Health insurance plays three important roles in this journey: strengthening a family’s financial resilience, acting as a safety net during medical emergencies, and preserving long-term financial stability, added Roy.
“We have observed long-term policy uptake among women has increased 65% year-on-year, indicating a clear shift toward longer-term coverage and sustained health protection. As this shift gathers pace, ensuring that more women view health protection as an essential part of financial planning will become even more important.”
Premium contribution from women has grown approximately 37% year-on-year. Over the past five years, the average overall sum insured purchased by women has increased from ₹5.5 lakh to ₹10.5 lakh.
Beyond ownership, engagement metrics also reflect behavioural evolution. Overall female wellness usage has grown 38% year-on-year, outpacing overall portfolio growth. Telemedicine and HomeHealth Care (HHC) services together have witnessed strong growth across metropolitan, urban,semi-urban, and rural markets. With telemedicine recording 21X growth and home health care at 4Xgrowth amongst our women cohort,mentioned the Star Health report..
Despite rising digital engagement in healthcare usage, policy sourcing remains predominantly agent-led, with 83% of female policies distributed through agents, underscoring the importance of assisted decision-making in insurance purchase, found out Star Heath report..
Commenting on findings of his company’s report, Rajagopal Rudraraju, Head, Consumer Business Claims, TATA AIG General Insurance, said: “With cancer and other serious illnesses on the rise among women, financial preparedness is more critical than ever. While we see encouraging participation in health insurance, low policy retention and lower coverage amounts indicate that many women remain underinsured. Ensuring adequate coverage and improving access to preventive healthcare will be key to protecting both individual well-being and the broader healthcare ecosystem.”
The financial strain is compounded by the broader healthcare financing structure,noted Tata AIG General Insurance report.
According to National Health Accounts (2021–22), out-of-pocket expenditure still accounts for 39.4% of India’s total health spending. While this has improved significantly over the past decade, it continues to represent a meaningful burden, particularly for recurring or long-duration treatments that women are more likely to encounter over longer lifespans,.