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Insurance Against Health Crises

Among the less affluent in India, health insurance is only a recent phenomenon, and many still question its value. 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 at Arpan Co–operative 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 benefitted from the policy on three occasions. "I am grateful that MarketPlace thought in advance of us needing medical help, because I don't know how I would have managed," she says. "There are so many issues in life that make it hard to save money. Insurance allows us to not use our savings for health, so this insurance is my true savings."