THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Cabinet on Wednesday approved a health insurance scheme for the poor to be implemented with Central assistance.

The scheme will cover about 25 lakh families living below the poverty line for a premium of Rs.99 a year for each family.

The beneficiary will have to pay only a third of the premium. The Government and the Local Self-Government Instituions will pay the balance (33 per cent each). he insurance cover will be for a maximum of Rs.30,000 a year for a member or up to five members of a family taken together. Coverage for outpatient treatment will be Rs.6,000 a year.

There will also be personal accident cover of Rs.1,00,000 for death or total incapacitation, and Rs.50,000 for partial disablement.

Besides, Rs.15,000 a year can be claimed for maternity care. All diseases, including mental diseases, are covered.

The scheme also provides for payment of a subsistence allowance at Rs.50 a day if the bread-earning member of the family is hospitalised. Bystanders will get an allowance of Rs.50 a day for a week. Insured families can avail themselves of treatment from Government as well as private hospitals without advance payment on production of identity cards. Hospitals with a minimum of 15 beds will be identified for the purpose. ICICI Lombard, which offered the lowest premium to the Government, is providing the cover. The scheme will be implemented under the supervision of constituency-level committees headed by the local member of the Assembly.

A committee constituted in June this year with the Principal Secretary (Finance) as chairman and the Secretary (Health), Secretary (Local-Self Government- Urban) and Secretary (Local Self Government- Rural) as members drew up the scheme. The executive director of Kudumbasree was the convener.

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