This study, co-authored by ACCESS Health, appeared in BMJ Open. The objective of the study was to compare the effects of the Andhra Pradesh public health insurance program, Rajiv Aarogyasri Health Insurance Scheme, with health financing innovations in Maharashtra, including the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY), over time on access to and out of pocket expenditure on hospital inpatient care.

The authors found that health innovations in Andhra Pradesh had a greater beneficial effect on inpatient care-related expenditures than innovations in Maharashtra. The Aarogyasri insurance program is likely to have contributed to these impacts in Andhra Pradesh, at least in part. However, out of pocket expenditures increased in both states over time. Insurance programs such as the Aarogyasri and RSBY may result in some positive outcomes, but additional interventions may be required to improve access to care for the most vulnerable sections of the population.