Healthcare burden and impoverishment among older adults with palliative care needs in India: findings from a nationally representative study.

Summary: In India, many older adults who are very sick need special comfort care, called palliative care. Sadly, paying for this care is extremely hard on their families. A new study looked at nearly 3,000 older adults and found that families pay for almost everything out of their own pockets. For hospital visits, illnesses like cancer and heart disease cost the most. To pay these huge bills, many families have to drain their life savings or take out loans. In fact, one in five families faces "catastrophic" costs, meaning the medical bills are so high they push the family into poverty. The study shows a huge need for better health insurance and free or low-cost comfort care programs to help these families survive financially.