Overall our study indicates that in order to universalize health
care services, using generic drugs, INR 6852 (USD 152) would
required to be spent per household (INR 1713 per capita per year)
in India. At a per capita GDP of USD 1176 [27], this would cost
India about 3.8% (2.1%–6.8%) of the GDP. Our estimates are
higher than the estimate (INR 1160 per capita) of National
Commission on Macroeconomics and Health (NCMH) [25]. The
cost of health care has increased since the time when NCMH costs
were computed. Between the two rounds of National Health
Accounts in 2001–02 and 2004–05, per capita private and public
health care expenditures increased by 21% and 17% respectively
[28]. Rising health care expenditures in India are fuelled due to
many factors related to demographic, epidemiological and social
transition [25,29,30]. Secondly, our assumptions of staff salaries
were drawn from a survey of private hospitals, whereas the
NCMH sourced its salary estimates from Central Government pay
scales, which are lower than private sector salaries.