Avg out-of-pocket hospital expenses in Odisha among lowest in country: NSS
Bhubaneswar: Odisha is one of the least expensive states in the country as far as hospitalisation is concerned, with patients spending less than half the national average from their own pockets for treatment.
According to the latest National Sample Survey ( 80th round ) on Household Social Consumption: Health, average out-of-pocket medical expenditure (OOPME) per hospitalisation case, excluding childbirth, stood at Rs 16,948 in Odisha, compared to the national average of Rs 34,064. The state ranked among the lowest in the country in terms of expenditure borne directly by patients and their families.
The report on the survey, carried out by the ministry of statistics and programme implementation , covered 5,288 households across rural and urban Odisha last year.
In healthcare, OOPME refers to the expenditure that a patient or family pays directly, without insurance reimbursement, at the time of receiving hospital care. This may include money spent on diagnostics, consumables such as gloves or syringes, doctor fees and medicines. For the purpose of the survey, medical institutions were classified into three categories — govt/public hospitals, private hospitals and charitable/trust/NGO-run hospitals.
The findings are particularly striking for treatment in govt hospitals. Patients spent an average of Rs 2,496 per hospitalisation in govt-run facilities, one of the lowest among all states and Union Territories. The amount was significantly below the national average of Rs 6,631.
Even in private hospitals, where treatment costs are substantially higher, the state's average expenditure of Rs 40,753 remained well below the national average of Rs 50,508.
Healthcare experts said OOPME reflects how state govts fund their healthcare systems and the overall financial protection available to people. They said if a govt hospital is adequately funded, patients need not spend much except perhaps on food and travel.
The NSS also highlighted a rural-urban divide in healthcare spending. While the average expenditure per hospitalisation was Rs 15,708 in rural Odisha, urban residents spent Rs 22,675 on an average. "Higher dependence on private healthcare facilities in urban areas contributes to this difference. Urban patients spent about 44% more than rural patients, mainly because urban residents were more likely to use private facilities, where average expenditure generally exceeds Rs 50,000 per admission. Such rural-urban disparities are visible across India," said healthcare expert Niranjan Mishra .
A comparison with the previous 75th round of the NSS on Health (July 2017 to June 2018), whose findings were released in 2022, shows a significant shift in expenditure patterns. The OOPME in Odisha for public hospitals was Rs 5,283 during the previous survey, while that for private hospitals stood at Rs 30,947.
Mishra said as about 70% of the state's population depends on public health facilities, the govt has been significantly scaling up public health spending in recent years to strengthen primary, secondary and tertiary care infrastructure besides providing universal health assurance coverage.
He said the state is providing free diagnostics, medicines, transport and tertiary care support to patients. The health sector outlay has nearly tripled from Rs 9,500 crore in 2020-21 to Rs 23,182 crore in 2026-27, accounting for over 7.5% of the state's total budget.
According to the latest National Sample Survey ( 80th round ) on Household Social Consumption: Health, average out-of-pocket medical expenditure (OOPME) per hospitalisation case, excluding childbirth, stood at Rs 16,948 in Odisha, compared to the national average of Rs 34,064. The state ranked among the lowest in the country in terms of expenditure borne directly by patients and their families.
The report on the survey, carried out by the ministry of statistics and programme implementation , covered 5,288 households across rural and urban Odisha last year.
In healthcare, OOPME refers to the expenditure that a patient or family pays directly, without insurance reimbursement, at the time of receiving hospital care. This may include money spent on diagnostics, consumables such as gloves or syringes, doctor fees and medicines. For the purpose of the survey, medical institutions were classified into three categories — govt/public hospitals, private hospitals and charitable/trust/NGO-run hospitals.
The findings are particularly striking for treatment in govt hospitals. Patients spent an average of Rs 2,496 per hospitalisation in govt-run facilities, one of the lowest among all states and Union Territories. The amount was significantly below the national average of Rs 6,631.
Even in private hospitals, where treatment costs are substantially higher, the state's average expenditure of Rs 40,753 remained well below the national average of Rs 50,508.
Healthcare experts said OOPME reflects how state govts fund their healthcare systems and the overall financial protection available to people. They said if a govt hospital is adequately funded, patients need not spend much except perhaps on food and travel.
The NSS also highlighted a rural-urban divide in healthcare spending. While the average expenditure per hospitalisation was Rs 15,708 in rural Odisha, urban residents spent Rs 22,675 on an average. "Higher dependence on private healthcare facilities in urban areas contributes to this difference. Urban patients spent about 44% more than rural patients, mainly because urban residents were more likely to use private facilities, where average expenditure generally exceeds Rs 50,000 per admission. Such rural-urban disparities are visible across India," said healthcare expert Niranjan Mishra .
A comparison with the previous 75th round of the NSS on Health (July 2017 to June 2018), whose findings were released in 2022, shows a significant shift in expenditure patterns. The OOPME in Odisha for public hospitals was Rs 5,283 during the previous survey, while that for private hospitals stood at Rs 30,947.
Mishra said as about 70% of the state's population depends on public health facilities, the govt has been significantly scaling up public health spending in recent years to strengthen primary, secondary and tertiary care infrastructure besides providing universal health assurance coverage.
He said the state is providing free diagnostics, medicines, transport and tertiary care support to patients. The health sector outlay has nearly tripled from Rs 9,500 crore in 2020-21 to Rs 23,182 crore in 2026-27, accounting for over 7.5% of the state's total budget.
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