NSO 80th round on health: median OOPE, delivery and insurance data
Why in the news
The NSO 80th round, on household social consumption on health, was released through PIB. It credits public spending and Ayushman Bharat with lowering health costs and changing how people seek care.
Key facts
- Outpatient OOPE: median is zero in public facilities.
- Hospitalisation: in over 50% of public-facility cases, spending is only Rs 1,100; overall median OOPE is Rs 11,285, private care included.
- Who gained most: the bottom two quintiles, the poorest 40%.
- Ailment reporting (PPRA): rural 6.8% (2017-18) to 12.2% (2025); urban 9.1% to 14.9%, read as greater awareness, not worse health.
- Disease shift: infectious diseases falling, NCDs such as diabetes and heart conditions rising.
Round-on-round comparison
| Indicator | 2017-18 (75th) | 2025 (80th) |
|---|---|---|
| Rural institutional delivery | 90.5% | 95.6% |
| Urban institutional delivery | 96.1% | 97.8% |
| Rural health coverage | 12.9% | 45.5% |
| Urban health coverage | 8.9% | 31.8% |
Government enablers cited
- Ayushman Arogya Mandirs: over 1.84 lakh centres for primary care.
- Free Drugs and Free Diagnostics initiatives, begun in 2015.
- AMRIT Pharmacies: over 220 outlets, 6,500+ drugs at up to 50% discount.
- Hub-and-spoke model: sample transport network so rural patients get advanced test results locally.
- Nearly two-thirds (66.8%) of rural deliveries take place in government facilities.
Background
- OOPE: money households pay directly when using health services.
- Median vs mean: the median is the middle value, so a few costly surgeries do not skew it.
- Quintiles: five equal groups by spending power.
Exam angle
- Public outpatient median OOPE: zero.
- Overall median OOPE: Rs 11,285.
- Rural government-facility deliveries: 66.8%.