Union Budget 2026: Senior citizen care, preventive healthcare, AI in wellness -- Health sector's wishlist for Feb 1

As India gears up for Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to present the Union Budget 2026, industry leaders are highlighting the need for stronger policy support in healthcare, preventive wellness, and senior care. As per industry pundits, Budget presents a crucial opportunity to move from a reactive, treatment-focused system to a proactive, preventive, and predictive model that can reduce long-term costs and improve outcomes across the country.

“As India prepares for the Union Budget, there is a crucial opportunity to reorient healthcare towards prevention and early intervention. Strengthening structured screening programmes and enabling technology-led risk assessment can help detect diseases earlier, improve outcomes, and reduce avoidable hospitalisation. Targeted policy support for preventive health infrastructure, workforce training, and data-driven screening models can optimise long-term healthcare spending while easing pressure on tertiary care facilities,”— said Masaharu Morita, Founder and Program Director, NURA – AI Health Screening Centre.

Experts are also emphasizing the role of AI, digital diagnostics, and health-tech innovations. Incentives for startups leveraging genomics, biomarker intelligence, wearables, and remote monitoring could improve early disease detection and create a scalable wellness ecosystem. Integration of these technologies into insurance frameworks and public–private partnerships can drive large-scale adoption while reducing long-term healthcare costs.

Besides this, rising medical costs and changing demographics also call for renewed focus on senior care.

“Investor interest in senior-friendly healthcare and assisted living infrastructure is growing, but capital alone cannot build a scalable, sustainable ecosystem. The Budget should support insurance coverage for assisted living and at-home care, large-scale training of non-medical care professionals, and formal recognition of caregiving as a skilled profession. This can ensure dignity, safety, and continuity of care for seniors,” said Ishaan Khanna, CEO, Antara Assisted Care Services.

Insurance and regulatory frameworks remain another critical focus.

Rakesh Goyal, Director at Probus, stated, “Medical inflation is rising faster than incomes, and families often face gaps in coverage and inconsistent claim processes. The upcoming Budget should strengthen preventive healthcare coverage, recognise OPD and wellness expenses for tax benefits, and promote simpler insurance regulation to restore clarity and coordination across the ecosystem."

As India charts its path toward a healthier, more resilient population, the Union Budget 2026 is seen as a pivotal moment to align fiscal policy, innovation, and infrastructure with the nation’s preventive and predictive healthcare ambitions.