The government of India launched the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission to provide a digital
Health ID to people which will contain their health records. By providing an integrated suite of
data, information, and infrastructure services on an open, interoperable, standards-based
platform, the mission will create an open, seamless online platform. Also, it will protect
health-related information from unauthorized access and misuse.

The countrywide rollout of the digital health ID corresponds with the National Health
Authority (NHA) celebrating the third anniversary of Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan
Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY).

In 2018, the government of India launched its ambitious government-sponsored healthcare
scheme ‘Ayushman Bharat’ to cover medical expenses of up to Rs 5 lakh per family, per
year. In addition to covering medical and hospitalization expenses, it also covers most
secondary care procedures. Programs like this have been introduced to ensure that poor and
vulnerable groups get quality healthcare and reduce the financial burden of hospitalization.
However, the medical coverage does not cover the costs of advanced surgeries and
treatment such as cancer and transplants which costs up to Rs. 25 lakhs. Additionally, as the
healthcare scheme is restricted to the poor and underprivileged, Indian middle-class families
continue to struggle with the medical treatment cost.

A country of 1.3 billion people, India spends a mere 1.28% of GDP on healthcare.
Underinsured population, insufficient public health system, and expensive private medical
facilities are the primary phenomenon leading to healthcare affordability and accessibility
gap.

With over 80 percent of the Indian population without any form of health insurance, medical
crowdfunding has emerged as an alternative financing option for people who need urgent
money for medical treatment. Medical crowdfunding enables people with an opportunity to
raise money by reaching out to a wider audience in a limited period of time. This is why
medical crowdfunding is a particularly viable solution for middle-class families, who often get
limited financial help from the government or NGOs.

The promise of medical crowdfunding:
Healthcare for All: Access to quality and affordable healthcare
Anil Kumar, a construction worker from Chennai was in dire need of funds for his 5-year-old
daughter’s medical treatment who has been diagnosed with Fanconi Anemia/Myelodysplastic
Syndrome, an extremely rare and deadly form of blood disease. Doctors suggested the Bone
Marrow Transplant as the only curative treatment available for this condition. Though Anil
Kumar was able to donate his stem cell for the BMT transplant, he needed INR 15 Lakh for
the surgery. Saving INR 15 lakh in a mere Rs.5 thousand salary per month is a far-fetched
dream. Knowing his financial condition, doctors and medical social workers suggested Anil
for medical crowdfunding and he started a fundraiser. Within a couple of weeks, Anil’s story
was widely promoted on social media platforms and over 1200 strangers came together to
donate INR 15 Lakh for Anil’s daughter’s treatment.