The state government has launched its ambitious cashless insurance scheme — the Rajiv Gandhi Jeevandayi Arogya Yojana
For a man with meagre earnings who has survived three heart attacks, Nandkumar Shinde looks very relaxed. He owes to the state government, which issued him its first health insurance scheme card on Wednesday. And come March 1, the 50-year-old security guard won't have to worry if he's wheeled into an operation theatre for an angioplasty, which will cost at least Rs1.5 lakh.
At a time when health care is pinching pockets, the state government has launched its ambitious cashless insurance scheme — the Rajiv Gandhi Jeevandayi Arogya Yojana — for families with an annual income of less than Rs1 lakh. It offers free medical coverage of Rs1.5 lakh for 972 surgeries and 121 follow-up procedures. Those requiring kidney transplants can avail themselves of Rs2.5 lakh. Once fully implemented, close to 2.5 crore families stand to benefit from it.
Shinde's family was among the 18 from across the city which received the health card from chief minister Prithviraj Chavan on Wednesday. The scheme, to be run on a public- private partnership mode with the National Insurance Company, will cover 50 lakh families in eight 'most needy' districts in phase one. A health insurance policy will be drawn up for each beneficiary and the EMIs will be paid by the state government.
Shinde, a resident of Sion, voices the fear of several cash-strapped patients. “I am an asthmatic and have already had three heart attacks. My son is still hunting for a job and there is no other source of income. We had been worrying about how to gather money for treatment. We had to take loan for my earlier treatment.”
S Yugandhara Rao, general manager, National Insurance Company said, “The infrastructure is being put in place. People can use the card from March 1. We will have arogya mitras to facilitate the direct traffic of patients to health campuses. There will be a 24x7 help desk at all chosen hospitals.”
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