Healthcare Access in India: Cancer treatment in India is very expensive, which often leads to people not being able to afford it. Let us explain what impact lowering drug prices will have on this.

How GST Reduction Can Lower Cancer Treatment Costs: Discussions are rife about what steps can be taken to prevent cancer. However, cancer treatment has long been a major health challenge in India. Expensive medications, limited insurance coverage, and difficult access to treatment put millions of patients and their families under financial pressure. Consequently, the recent changes made by the central government to the GST system are being considered a significant step in cancer treatment and public health.

Recommendation to make medicines tax free

The 56th meeting of the GST Council recommended making 33 life-saving drugs for cancer and rare diseases completely tax-free. These drugs previously attracted a GST rate of 5% to 12%. However, the removal of this tax is expected to reduce the overall cost of treatment, especially for patients who rely on expensive medications for a long time.

What do experts say?

Dr. Abhishek Shankar, MD, Radiology Department, AIIMS Delhi, believes that many patented cancer drugs are so expensive that patients are forced to abandon treatment midway. Removing GST will reduce drug prices, which could improve treatment continuity and survival rates. Furthermore, it has been recommended that individual health and life insurance policies be exempted from GST, making insurance affordable for the general public.

Expectations from increasing taxes on tobacco products

Another important decision from a health perspective is the increase in taxes on tobacco products. Tobacco is considered a major cause of cancer. Increasing taxes is likely to reduce tobacco consumption, which could lead to a reduction in future cases of cancer, heart disease, and respiratory diseases. Research shows that higher tobacco taxes are particularly effective in reducing consumption among the poor and middle classes.

The cost of initial diagnosis and treatment is likely to be

The benefits of GST reductions aren't limited to medicines. Reducing taxes on diagnostic tests, surgical equipment, and medical supplies can also reduce the cost of initial diagnosis and treatment. Health experts believe that when tests are affordable, people get tested on time, leading to early detection of diseases. However, experts also warn that the true impact of these policies will only be seen when the tax relief fully reaches patients. If companies don't reduce prices, the benefits may be limited. The government has urged the industry to pass on the full benefits of the tax cuts to consumers.