Asia

India's Government Plans To Give Millions Of People Free Health Care

Under the initiative, the Indian government would cover about $7,800 in annual health care costs for 100 million poor families.

India's Government Plans To Give Millions Of People Free Health Care
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India's government wants to provide hundreds of millions of people with free health care.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi detailed the ambitious plan — which has been dubbed Modicare — on Thursday.

Under the initiative, the government would provide health care for 100 million poor families. 

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The plan would cover about $7,800 worth of treatment per family each year. As The New York Times notes, that number may seem small by Western standards. But it could take care of the cost of five heart surgeries in India. 

If the plan gets approval from the Indian Parliament, it could help improve the country's notoriously poor access to health care.

The details of the initiative are expected to be presented in the coming days.