According to PHDCCI (Progress, Harmony and Development Chamber of Commerce and Industry) , with lifestyle-impact diseases like cancer and cardiac diseases expected to account for nearly 30 per cent of in-patient ailments and HIV infections expected to rise significantly, healthcare insurance sector is poised to become a Rs 25,000-crore industry by 2010. It is also estimated to treble itself in the next 10 years if insurance companies offered a right mix of targeted products.

Already, the healthcare sector, including service-providers, payers, pharmaceutical and medical devices manufacturers, is estimated to be Rs 75,000-crore industry.

It is estimated that the share of the elderly in the total population would increase to 8.9 per cent and the total number of senior citizens would rise 107 per cent to 113 million by 2016, providing scope for the sector's growth like never before.

Health spending in India at 6 per cent of the GDP is among the highest estimated for developing countries. In per-capita terms, it is higher than that in China , Indonesia and most African countries. Also, the insurable population in India has been assessed at 250 million.

The study pointed out that, in order to attract greater number of Indians to go in for healthcare insurance, insurance companies would have to widen their scope much beyond hospitalization and cover domiciliary treatment.