Effect of health insurance program for the poor on out-of-pocket inpatient care cost in India: evidence from a nationally representative cross-sectional survey.

Enrolment in the public health insurance programs for the poor increased the utilization of inpatient health care. Health insurance coverage should be expanded to cover outpatient services to discourage overutilization of inpatient services. To reduce out-of-pocket costs, insurance needs to cover all family members rather than restricting coverage to a specific maximum defined.