British media: Severe pollution leads to increased claims, I

On the 24th, the British media "Asia Insurance Review" published an article on its website stating that "the increasing pollution in Delhi may lead to a 10% -15% increase in health insurance premiums here. Previously, on the 21st, Reuters quoted 9 industry executives as saying in an exclusive report that due to a significant increase in air pollution related claims in Delhi, India in 2024, Indian insurance companies are considering increasing the fees paid by Delhi residents for new health insurance.

In recent years, Delhi has been experiencing severe haze weather every winter due to the influence of cold air currents. According to data released by IQAir, a Swiss air quality technology company, Delhi replaced Lahore in Pakistan as the world's most polluted city in November last year, while Mumbai and Kolkata in India also ranked among the top ten cities with the most severe air pollution. In November 2024, New Delhi recorded a monthly average of 249 micrograms per cubic meter of PM2.5, the highest value in nearly 8 years.

Severe air pollution poses a great threat to the health of Delhi residents. The Economic Times of India reported that air pollution is causing more Delhi residents to face asthma, lung disease, and other cardiovascular diseases, and the situation is constantly worsening. According to a joint report by Boston Consulting Group and Indian healthcare management agency Medi Assist, respiratory claims in the Delhi region increased by 8.3% in the 2023-2025 fiscal year, setting a record for the highest increase in healthcare costs in India during the same period. Amitabh Jain, Director of Operations at Starry Sky Medical, India's largest independent healthcare insurance company, stated that the number of respiratory disease patients requiring hospitalization in the Delhi region will increase by over 17% year-on-year in the second half of 2024. Jain believes that commercial healthcare companies need to consider air pollution as a separate pricing factor, and for regions such as New Delhi, they will take into account the severity of the impact of air pollution and charge additional premiums to customers in that area.

India's high-quality healthcare services rely on private healthcare institutions, which operate commercial medical insurance under government supervision and set different premium standards in different regions based on multiple factors. Jodip Roy, head of financial services consulting at PwC India, stated that institutions need to demonstrate to the government through rigorous data analysis that air pollution has an independent and critical negative impact on residents' health.

According to a Reuters report, data from the Delhi Statistical Handbook shows that the per capita income in New Delhi in 2024 is $5331. According to current guidelines, providing a health insurance coverage of $10000 for households in the city would cost between $100 and $400 per year. In India, having medical insurance is a luxury, "28 year old Delhi resident and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patient Aniket Tiwari told Reuters, stating that he decided not to purchase medical insurance in 2024 due to high premiums.

In fact, compared to the health impact, Delhi's severe air pollution poses multiple challenges to residents. According to a report by India Today, in addition to health threats, the reduced visibility caused by smog has led to temporary disruptions in urban and surrounding transportation, affecting business operations, and also causing a decline in the tourism industry, reducing the willingness of external funds to invest in the local area. Although India has taken a series of measures to control air pollution, the results are not satisfactory. The pollution problem in Delhi may not be fundamentally solved in the short term, and related issues such as residents' health and insurance costs will continue to receive attention in the future.