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NRI couple returns to India after 17 years, citing high US healthcare costs
The move, they said, was not “about running away,” but about “running towards a life where healthcare wasn’t a financial burden and motherhood wasn’t a solo battle.”
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Malvika Choudhary - Sat, 22, Nov 2025
- 10:30 EST
- 26
NRI couple / X (@twinsbymyside)
A Non-Resident Indian (NRI) couple sparked debate online after announcing their decision to return to India following 17 years in the United States, citing the high cost of healthcare and the absence of family support as key reasons.
In a series of Instagram videos, the couple, parents of twins, detailed how the US healthcare system became financially overwhelming.
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The mother said that after giving birth, she had “just six weeks of maternity leave to recover and figure out motherhood,” adding that she was expected to resume work “while still healing, still learning, and still exhausted.”
She described the insurance burden as a continual strain. According to the couple, they were required to meet a yearly $14,000 deductible before insurance would begin covering any costs.
Even the most affordable plan available to them—only for the two adults—was $1,600 per month with a $15,000 deductible, excluding coverage for their twins. Routine healthcare, she said, often became “a whole saga” involving calls, approvals and high co-pays.
The couple added that access to healthcare felt slow and stressful, with appointments “weeks out” and rushed visits. With no extended family nearby and limited help with childcare, the couple said the challenges intensified after the birth of their twins.
Their decision to relocate began to take shape during a 2022 trip to India, where they experienced the benefits of having more people and support around them. Over the next three years, they planned the move, including renovating their US home and organizing shipments back to India. For them, the shift was driven by the belief that “healthcare doesn’t feel like a luxury” in India. They said they now have quicker access to doctors and a support system that feels “accessible.”
The move, they said, was not “about running away,” but about “running towards a life where healthcare wasn’t a financial burden and motherhood wasn’t a solo battle.” India, they added, offered “balance and peace of mind.”
The video has amassed over 1.6 million views, drawing support from many viewers who shared similar experiences.
One user commented that the couple’s concerns reflected “so many other issues which make life miserable.”
Another wrote that “India offers an excellent support system, particularly for families with young children.”
Others highlighted the dramatic cost differences between the two countries, with one viewer noting a relative’s appendix surgery in the US cost $45,000, while a similar procedure in India costs around ₹30,000.
The discussion comes amid growing social media conversations about healthcare affordability in the US.
In another widely shared video, American national Kristen Fischer, who has lived in India for over four years, described her own experience of seeking urgent care for a cut. She said she received treatment in 45 minutes and paid ₹50, adding that the same situation in the US could have “cost a fortune.”
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