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Bupa to conduct study on India's health insurance market

Bupa, the leading health insurance company in the United Kingdom, has been appointed by the International Finance Corporation, the private finance arm within the World Bank group, to conduct a study into private health insurance opportunities in developing economies including India.

Having completed an analysis of private healthcare provision in developing countries, the IFC is now conducting an evaluation of potential future opportunities in the private medical insurance sector.

This will endeavour to assess whether investing in such initiatives could stimulate private sector business investment generally and result in wider access to high standard healthcare facilities for a greater number of people.

Bupa has been appointed as consultant to this project and will be undertaking a study of healthcare markets in at least four different countries, to include India, Argentina, Poland and Egypt. Bupa is one of the most international health insurers in the world and provides cover to 4 million members globally.

With interests in private medical insurance, ownership and management of hospitals, clinics and homes for the elderly, Bupa spans the full range of healthcare provision activities. Bupa and the IFC note that any opportunities in India are subject to liberalisation.

Bupa's international development team's broad experience in evaluating and developing successful international business in markets as far reaching as Hong Kong, Thailand and Saudi Arabia, to name a few, was clearly an important factor in securing the contract.

UNI