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The importance of wage loss in the financial burden of illness: Longitudinal evidence from India

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  • Shrinivas, Aditya
  • Jalota, Suhani
  • Mahajan, Aprajit
  • Miller, Grant

Abstract

A key aim of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) is to protect individuals and households against the financial risk of illness, and large-scale health insurance expansions are a central focus of the UHC agenda. Importantly, however, health insurance does not protect against a key dimension of financial risk associated with illness: forgone wage income. In this paper, we quantify the economic burden of illness in India attributable – separately – to wage loss and to medical care spending, as well as differences in them across the socio-economic distribution.

Suggested Citation

  • Shrinivas, Aditya & Jalota, Suhani & Mahajan, Aprajit & Miller, Grant, 2023. "The importance of wage loss in the financial burden of illness: Longitudinal evidence from India," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 317(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:317:y:2023:i:c:s0277953622008899
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.115583
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