The release of data on health expenditure for Jammu and Kashmir has been revealed in a report by National Health Accounts Estimates 2018-19, which was released this month. Accounts show that Jammu and Kashmir households have spent even more than 44 percent from their own pockets on health.
As per the accounts, families of J&K spend Rs. 1,772 crores on medical services, which is a significant portion of the total health expenditure (THE) of Rs. 3946 crores.
However, government health expenditures (GHE) were Rs 2,023 crores which account for 51.3% of overall spending.
Three factors which make up the total health expenditure are government spending, people who spend out-of-pocket, and a third that combines private health insurance, spending by enterprises, spending by NGOs or not-for-profit organizations and external sources of funds from outside India.
As per the reports, in 2017-2018, the out-of- pocket expenditure in J&K was 42.8 percent which has increased to 44.9 percent in 2018-2019.
According to the report, Himachal and J&K are the only states/UT, where the government accounts for more than half the total spending on health. Moreover, most of the states have increased public spending on health but J&K witnessed the lowest increase in this period.