INSURANCE AGAINST A CRISIS Among the less affluent in India, health insurance is only a recent phenomenon, and many still question its value. And when low-income workers do need care, their options through the state hospitals are often woefully lacking. Five years ago, MarketPlace began offering artisans health insurance, paying 75 percent of the premium, with the co-operative paying 15 percent and the artisans the remaining 10 percent. After many meetings and discussions about the benefits, today the women value health insurance for both the financial and psychological security it provides. Kunti Morya, who has worked as an embroidery artisan for thirty years, had never heard of health insurance until it was discussed at her co-operative in 2016. Since she signed up, she has benefited from the policy on three occasions, including during one long hospitalization. And prior to her husband's death in 2019, she was able to get him proper care at a private hospital.