Health insurance provides coverage against medical expenses for illnesses or injuries. It is an agreement between an insurance provider and an individual or their sponsor. The coverage can be for a set time period or lifelong. It specifies what health care costs will be covered. Health insurance first emerged in the late 19th century and became formalized in 1912 with the first Insurance Act. However, only 3-5% of Indians have health insurance coverage today. Out-of-pocket medical expenses from conditions like heart disease or cancer could be financially devastating for most Indians without insurance.