ABSTRACT
The vast majority of the Indian population is unable to access quality healthcare due to cost as less than 15 percent of the population has health insurance coverage. The Indian government has encouraged the institution of private health insurance through its Insurance Regulatory Development Authority Bill, which regulates and protects the rights of insurance holders. India, as a lower middle-income country, has a population that does not have the means to bear the cost of branded treatment. Most of the pharmaceutical treatments available in India are low-cost generics. While there is no formal negotiation of price with the government, there are some price control measures used by the Indian government. Unfortunately, the Indian government has chosen to systematically ignore patent rights for particularly oncology agents by issuing compulsory licensing permits to local generic companies. India’s pharmaceutical manufacturing industry has become a hub for providing cheaper options to many other lower-income countries.
