Ahead of World Hepatitis Day, Care Health Insurance has issued a public advisory urging individuals to prioritise hepatitis screening, vaccination and timely medical intervention, warning that delayed diagnosis continues to drive preventable liver disease and deaths in India.

Describing viral hepatitis as a "silent disease", the insurer said infections often remain asymptomatic for years and are frequently detected only after irreversible liver damage has occurred, leading to cirrhosis, liver failure or liver cancer. Early screening and timely treatment, it said, are essential to improving patient outcomes and reducing healthcare costs. 

According to national and global health estimates cited by the company, India has one of the world's highest hepatitis burdens, with an estimated 2.9 crore people living with hepatitis B and 0.55 crore with hepatitis C, bringing the total number of people living with chronic viral hepatitis to nearly 3.5 crore. Viral hepatitis is estimated to claim around 1.23 lakh lives annually in the country.

The advisory also highlighted that despite free hepatitis screening under the Government of India's National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme (NVHCP), a large proportion of infections remain undiagnosed, allowing the disease to progress silently until advanced stages.

Care Health Insurance's internal claims analysis indicates a growing economic burden associated with liver disease. The company reported that liver disease claims have doubled over the past three years, while treatment costs have increased by nearly 100 per cent during the same period. It also observed a 5–10 per cent annual rise in claims among younger individuals, a 10–15 per cent annual increase from Tier II and Tier III cities, and an almost 10 per cent year-on-year increase in claims among women.

The insurer noted that advanced liver disease often requires costly interventions, with a liver transplant at a private hospital typically costing between Rs. 18 lakh and Rs. 35 lakh, excluding lifelong post-transplant medication expenses.

As part of its advisory, Care Health Insurance recommended one-time hepatitis B and C screening for individuals at higher risk, completion of the hepatitis B vaccination schedule, adherence to prescribed treatment following diagnosis, and regular liver health assessments for people with diabetes, obesity, fatty liver disease or other metabolic disorders.

The company also urged people to follow safe practices during injections, blood transfusions, dental procedures, tattooing and piercing, avoid sharing razors or needles, maintain food and water hygiene to prevent hepatitis A and E infections, adopt healthier lifestyles, and ensure adequate health insurance coverage to manage the financial impact of advanced liver disease.