Modicare: India plans free healthcare for 500 million

[IronLionZion]

http://money.cnn.com/2018/02/01/news/economy/india-modicare-healthcare-program-largest/index.html?iid=hp-stack-dom

In India, they're already calling it "Modicare."
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's latest blockbuster policy initiative is an ambitious plan to give hundreds of millions of people greater access to hospitals.

The government said Thursday it plans to cover hospital treatment costs of up to 500,000 rupees ($7,800) per year for 100 million "poor and vulnerable" families. That's more than 15 times the amount poor families in India can currently claim from the government.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley estimated that around 500 million people will benefit from the program.

If the program is fully taken up, it would cost close to $780 billion, a huge sum for India's $2.4 trillion economy.

"India cannot realize its demographic dividend without its citizens being healthy," Jaitley said, referring to the country's large young population. "The government is steadily but surely progressing towards the goal of universal health coverage," he added, during a speech presenting his annual budget.

"Shitholes" leading the way to peace and prosperity. I was just traveling in India and it looks like fewer of them want to come to America due to improving job prospects there and racial hostility here.

Meanwhile in America, you wait and see. GOP will find a way to cut benefits for the poor after giving $1.5 Trillion tax cut to the wealthiest.

[lapfog_1]

1. I wonder...

"cover hospital treatment costs of up to 500,000 rupees ($7,800) per year for 100 million "poor and vulnerable" families."

Key words "up to".

I wonder what the "average expected" cost per family is for this plan.

I applaud the effort but I suspect they can't really afford to spend $780B on this program given their 2017 GDP.

[bdamomma]

2. Everyone is moving ahead

and we are going to the dark ages. sad very sad.

oh because the jerks we have illegally in our government are fixated on having a white only country.

[Fred Sanders]

3. Indian economy is booming. Being able to now afford this level of national care is milestone.