Aarogyasri programme: public health insurance and community networks

The burden of non-communicable, tertiary diseases in India is increasing as its population of prosperous and aged people increases. Private health insurance is largely limited to upper middle class patients, while publicly financed health insurance has failed to attract lower-income patients. New evidence from the Aarogyasri Programme in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, suggests that community networks may provide an important channel to disseminate information and encourage take up of public health insurance.