The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Launch of health insurance scheme in State next month

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Tuesday, Nov 18, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Launch of health insurance scheme in State next month

Special Correspondent

Programme for unorganised sector will first be implemented in six districts

The Centre’s Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana became operational on April 1
The six districts are Belgaum, Gulbarga, Shimoga, Mysore, Dakshina Kannada and Bangalore Rural

BANGALORE: Karnataka has decided to launch the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (national health insurance programme) in Belgaum, Gulbarga, Shimoga, Mysore, Dakshina Kannada and Bangalore Rural districts next month.

The scheme envisages cashless health insurance cover up to Rs. 30,000 a year on hospitalisation to a BPL family (a unit of five) in the unorganised sector.

The Centre’s Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) became operational on April 1, 2008. The scheme will be implemented by the State governments through the National Insurance Company Limited.

The premium is shared by the Centre and the State in the ratio of 75:25. Of the total premium of Rs. 750 per BPL family, the State’s share is Rs. 185.

Addressing presspersons here on Monday, Minister for Labour Bachche Gowda said the scheme would be extended to all the 29 districts by 2012-13. Six districts each would be covered in 2009-10, 2010-11, 2011-12 and five in 2012-13. As many as 19,19,014 families would be covered under the scheme when it would be extended to all the districts.

Only those BPL families identified by a survey in 2002 were eligible to avail themselves of the benefits, he said.

A family has to pay Rs. 30 for obtaining a smart card, which contains personal data and fingerprints. The card holds good at any hospital, private and public, that is in the list of the insurance company. The programme enables a family to choose where its members would like to receive the benefits, and it is particularly helpful to migrant workers.

The number of BPL families to be covered in Belgaum is 1,56,811; Gulbarga 1,94,238; Shimoga 36,498; Mysore 1,22,511; Dakshina Kannada 41,578; and Bangalore Rural 23,983.

The annual premium is Rs. 27,35,80,198. The Centre would contribute Rs. 20,51,85,149 while the State’s share would be Rs. 6,83,95,050.

Mr. Gowda said all building and other construction workers registered under the Building and Other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1996, are eligible for the scheme on payment of Rs. 30 as registration/renewal fee at the time of issuance of the smart card.

The premium for the scheme would be paid from the funds collected by the welfare boards. The State Welfare Board has collected Rs. 100 crore so far, the Minister said.

The scheme would cover most of the ailments and diseases, except 12 diseases including HIV/AIDS. Transportation costs (actual with a maximum limit of Rs. 100 per visit) within an overall limit of Rs.1,000 a year will be paid to each BPL family. From 2009-10, the Centre has decided to cover maternity benefits.

The State Government allocated Rs. 17.38 crore in 2008-09 for the implementation of the scheme. The Minister said that the Labour Department was the nodal agency for implementing the RSBY scheme. A society called Karnataka RSBY Society would be registered for executing the scheme.

The Deputy Commissioner would head the committee at the district level and the deputy labour commissioners and assistant commissioners’ would be the district level nodal officers. Officials at the gram, taluk and hobli levels would be appointed as field key officers under the scheme.

Almost all States had agreed to implement the scheme during the current year. Haryana, Punjab Rajasthan, Delhi, Gujarat, Bihar, Jharkhand and Tamil Nadu have started enrolment and issue of smart cards.

Till September 23, more than 3.39 lakh smart cards had been distributed in the country.

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