Everyone dreads a medical emergency. When a family member falls ill, we pay from our pocket by drawing from our savings, selling assets or by borrowing. And if the person is poor, the option is to either forego care and die or get pushed further into destitution due to the costs.
Children get taken out of school, seniors work longer hours to earn a little more, and families make do with less of everything, including food. As families cope with health shocks, the vicious cycle of poverty and ill-health accelerates. Every year, health bills push some 55 million people — more than the population of 177 countries — into poverty in India.
