UHC as implemented in India exemplifies an entirely different set of issues and challenges, which have accompanied the introduction of social health insurance programs elsewhere. Historically the government’s intervention in health care has largely been through direct provision of services, through a network of public hospitals, primary healthcare centers and dispensaries. This was supplemented by relatively small social health insurance schemes – the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) and the Employees State Insurance Scheme (ESIS) for workers in larger industrial units. The social health insurance schemes only cover for hospital-based care for a specific list of procedures. Patients are provided a choice of accredited institutions where they can receive treatment and be reimbursed for costs not surpassing a set ceiling.