Low insurance costs, affordable treatment and medicines drawing NRIs to India

New Delhi: Low medical insurance premiums, affordable treatment costs and high quality healthcare facilities at private hospitals are making NRIs turn to India for medical treatment, according to a report by Policybazaar. The insurance aggregator noted that the share of NRI buyers of health insurance grew 150% in 2024-25 as compared to the previous year. One of India’s most compelling advantages is the dramatic cost difference for medical procedures. Healthcare costs in India are very low compared to what one pays in the US and other developed countries. Patients can save 60-90% on treatments in India.To give you a perspective, here’s a comparison of the costs of some surgical procedures in the two countries. Figures are indicative and actual costs may vary depending on the hospital chosen and the location.

*US figures converted to rupees at Rs 86.5 per dollar. Source: PolicybazaarWhile treatment costs in India are low, so are the medical insurance premiums compared to what one pays in the US and other countries. The average annual health insurance premium per person in India is $120-300 (Rs 10,000-26,000), which is significantly lower than $8,000 (Rs 6.9 lakh) payable in the US or $4,000-5,000 (Rs 3.4-4.3 lakh) charged in GCC countries. This has led many NRIS to purchase health cover from insurance companies in India. Policybazaar has also noted a surge in online queries from NRIs expressing interest to buy health insurance in India. According to Google Trends and industry search data, queries like “Best health insurance plans for parents in India” consistently ranks among the top 5 NRI-related insurance searches from the UAE, UK, and US markets.What’s more, even medicines in India are significantly cheaper. For example, a vial of insulin costs Rs 85-400 in India versus Rs 8,600-25,000 in the US. The cost of medicines can add up to a huge amount, but insurance helps cover these at low costs.