Morbidity, Treatment-Seeking Behaviour, and Out-of-Pocket Expenditures Among the Tribal Geriatric Population: A Cross-Sectional Study From a South Indian District

The illness burden is high among the tribal elderly. The OOPEs were high, particularly when seeking care from private healthcare facilities. The study emphasises the need to strengthen government healthcare services, particularly through health and wellness centres under India's Ayushman Bharat programme. Access to government social support schemes such as old age pensions and health insurance should be improved. Health education and community partnerships are to be strengthened. Addressing these gaps is vital to alleviating health disparities among the tribal elderly and securing their access to India's universal health coverage framework.