# Private healthcare costs more in rural Kozhikode, study finds 2026-08-07T00:46:47+00:00 | Health & Science | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet A study of 700 rural households in Kozhikode found that private facilities were preferred for outpatient and inpatient care, despite higher out-of-pocket costs. Among 2,371 people surveyed, 174 per 1,000 needed outpatient treatment within 15 days, while 19 per 1,000 required hospitalisation over a year. Private facilities handled 53.4% of outpatient cases and 77% of hospital admissions. Median outpatient costs were Rs 145 in public facilities and Rs 700 in private ones. For inpatient care, the figures were Rs 600 and Rs 5,050. Although 74.6% of households had health insurance, insured patients still faced substantial costs. The authors cautioned that low hospitalisation could reflect people delaying care because of expense. ## Coverage - thehindu.com Tags: health insurance, Kerala healthcare, Kozhikode, out-of-pocket spending, rural health Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/private-healthcare-costs-more-in-rural-kozhikode-study-finds/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/private-healthcare-costs-more-in-rural-kozhikode-study-finds/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.