Health Insurance in India: An insight from Bibliometric Analysis and Future Research Agenda

Abstract

Health insurance plays a vital role in advancing universal health coverage in India by reducing out-of-pocket expenditure and improving access to healthcare services. This study presents a PRISMA-guided bibliometric review of health insurance research in India from 2015 to 2026, aiming to map publication trends, identify key authors, journals, and research themes, and highlight knowledge gaps. A systematic search was conducted in major databases, including Scopus, Web of Science, using keywords related to health insurance and India, and studies were screened and selected according to PRISMA criteria. Bibliometric indicators such as publication growth, citation analysis, keyword co-occurrence, and co-authorship networks were analysed using VOSviewer. The results reveal a steady increase in publications, particularly after 2015, with dominant themes including government-sponsored schemes, financial protection, healthcare utilisation, and socio-economic determinants of insurance uptake. Notably, gaps remain in research on private insurance markets, ruralurban disparities, and technological integration in insurance delivery. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the evolution of health insurance research in India over the past decade, offering insights for future studies and evidence-informed policy interventions.