U.S. healthcare organizations face relentless pressure to reduce costs, expand access, and maintain high-quality care. Ahead of critical windows like AEP (Annual Enrollment Period) and Q1 ramp-up, the same inefficiencies resurface, strained contact centers, compliance risks, and poor patient/member experiences.
Meanwhile, a significant development is unfolding offshore: healthcare outsourcing in India is evolving from back-office support to front-line healthcare CX service in 2025. This shift isn’t immediately apparent, but it’s real, and it’s backed by substantial investment in training, AI, and infrastructure.
“India has been quietly present within healthcare CX for years. COVID in 2020 accelerated that evolution,” shares Deepak Gupta, an executive vice president in the CX space of India.
Deepak brings more than 15 years of experience advising global healthcare BPO strategy, with a focus on scaling secure, multilingual, and AI-enhanced operations. His insights have helped major U.S. insurers and health systems optimize vendor partnerships across India’s largest delivery centers.
These figures reflect not just projections, but a real shift in how U.S. health plans, payers, and providers are embracing healthcare outsourcing in India for more than just cost savings. India now handles eligibility and benefits verification, prior authorization, claims processing, revenue cycle management, and even clinical coordination and triage.
According to Deloitte, more than 75% of U.S. health plans already outsource at least one critical function to reduce operational load and improve responsiveness.
India’s value proposition has always hinged on cost, but what’s new is depth of capability and growing sophistication.
India’s labor costs remain 30–60% lower than those in the U.S. Compared to LATAM or the Philippines, India still leads in cost-to-skill ratio (NASSCOM).
India produces over 3 million graduates annually, many from medical, nursing, and life sciences backgrounds (Statista).
Time zone differences allow seamless U.S. overnight coverage with built-in business continuity support.
With over 125 million English speakers, India ranks second only to the U.S. in English-speaking population (WorldAtlas). Accent and culture training are now standard.
India’s decades-long legacy in HIPAA compliance, ICD-10 coding, and Six Sigma QA frameworks give it credibility with U.S. health systems.
From voice AI to predictive QA models, tech is now central, not optional. McKinsey notes that AI in healthcare operations could deliver $360 billion in annual savings globally (McKinsey).
The biggest hurdle when outsourcing healthcare to India is accent, and it’s finally being addressed with real solutions in 2025. AI tools like EverAi.Accent & Clarity offer real-time accent translation to deliver smoother and more natural-sounding conversations. These AI-powered tools are transforming conversations, making them smoother, more intuitive, and empowering champions to connect with customers more confidently and effectively.
Rather than masking identity, many of these tools, like EverAi.Accent & Clarity bridges gaps in understanding, especially for elderly U.S. patients who rely on clarity. It’s not just about sounding American; it’s about ensuring empathy and trust aren’t lost in translation.
“AI is helping overcome one of India’s historical hurdles: perceived accent issues. Now, champions sound neutral, natural, and globally ready,” says Deepak.
In India’s healthcare CX outsourcing centers, technology is amplifying—not replacing—human capability. Champions now enter the workforce with extensive training in soft skills, empathy, and medical terminology. AI tools then assist in real time, offering sentiment analysis, compliance alerts, and contextual prompts to support better decision-making. Speech analytics provide insights into tone, pacing, and even emotional cues, helping champions respond with greater sensitivity.
Crucially, this synergy leads to improved accuracy and trust. Rather than relying solely on scripts, champions are empowered with real-time intelligence that adapts to the conversation. For U.S. healthcare organizations, this approach reduces errors, boosts satisfaction, and ensures that technology enhances—not replaces—the patient experience.
Healthcare outsourcing in India faces significant challenges with attrition, often ranging between 25 to 30% annually and spiking even higher in call-intensive environments. This instability can be especially disruptive in healthcare, where regulatory compliance, patient privacy, and technical accuracy require consistency.
Leading vendors now respond by treating talent as a long-term investment rather than a revolving door. Programs that prioritize mental health, career development, and role alignment have emerged as best practices. Attrition is addressed not with quick fixes but with systemic improvements—from gamified training modules to internal mobility programs that turn frontline champions into QA coaches or trainers.
The result? Reduced onboarding costs, fewer compliance risks, and more stable CX operations during crucial periods like AEP.
| Region | Hourly Cost | Differentiators |
|---|---|---|
| India | $10–15 | Deep talent, AI-augmented training, proven HIPAA process |
| Philippines | $12–18 | Naturally neutral accent, strong empathy culture |
| LATAM | $14–20 | Bilingual fluency, proximity to U.S |
| U.S. Onshore | $30–50+ | Domestic regulation alignment, ideal for PHI-sensitive |
India stands out when cost, scale, and capability converge—especially for transactional and first-line healthcare CX support functions.
Legacy perceptions of thick accents persist, but the industry has moved on. Accent-neutral training programs, phonetic coaching, and real-time AI tools now support globally neutral speech across most top-tier Indian CX providers. As a result, many champions are now indistinguishable from their U.S. counterparts on calls.
HIPAA compliance is now a baseline expectation, not an exception. Leading vendors are certified in SOC 2, ISO 27001, and other globally recognized frameworks. Data is housed in secure, access-controlled delivery centers, and champion undergo continual privacy training.
This misconception overlooks India’s evolution into more complex healthcare roles. Many Indian centers now manage utilization reviews, triage, nurse line support, and even pharmacy benefits management. It’s not just processing forms—it’s clinical support with real-time consequences.
In reality, the time difference is a strategic advantage. U.S. overnight coverage becomes daytime work in India, allowing seamless 24/7 support while maintaining work-life balance for champion. Business continuity plans also benefit from geographic separation.
Behind the boom of healthcare outsourcing in India lies a powerful, often overlooked force: a deep-rooted culture of empathy, service, and community. In Indian society, healthcare is one of the most respected callings—not just for doctors, but for anyone involved in care delivery.
At Everise this mindset is embraced and amplified. As one campaign puts it: Not all heroes wear Scrubs. Some answers call with a heart. Everise champions in Mohali, for example, receive not only technical and compliance training but also cultural reinforcement around empathy, communication, and dignity.
This is more than brand language. It’s about honoring the emotional labor champions perform every day, helping people through vulnerable moments with patience and compassion. It’s no wonder so many healthcare CX champions in India stay with their programs longer, when they see the meaning in what they do.
For U.S. payers and providers, this means more than just stable headcount. It means champions who show up to the phones with purpose and pride. And that’s the kind of workforce worth investing in.
The fourth quarter brings immense pressure to healthcare organizations—especially during the AEP, where member inquiries spike, licensing deadlines loom, and speed-to-agent activation is critical. Q1 brings its wave of activity, from claims backlog to member onboarding.
India’s expanded healthcare outsourcing ecosystem offers scalable, HIPAA-compliant support precisely during these crunch times. Providers that onboard vendors by late Q2 or early Q3 can run mock audits, build training modules, and fully integrate their offshore CX strategy before open enrollment begins. The result? Greater continuity, faster ramp times, and less risk.
Savvy healthcare executives aren’t just building offshore teams in India; they’re co-building smarter models with Indian partners. They focus on integrating technology and talent strategies from day one, ensuring that every champion is trained with empathy, accuracy, and compliance in mind.
These leaders don’t wait for problems; they conduct onsite visits, audit attrition metrics, and participate in quarterly reviews to stay ahead. AI is adopted as a collaborative tool, not a replacement, and India is embedded into long-term planning, not just surge coverage.
“The question isn’t ‘Why India?’ anymore. It’s ‘How fast can we activate India the right way?’” Deepak concludes.
