Seven lakh pensioners and family pensioners of the State government will be brought under the fold of a new health insurance scheme.
To be operated on the lines of an insurance scheme for serving government officials and the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme, the proposed scheme would operate on a cashless basis and it would be made compulsory to all the pensioners (including spouse) / family pensioners.
Bids would be floated among the public sector insurance companies and it may take a few months before the contract is awarded, says a senior official.
The quantum of assistance would be Rs. two lakh for pensioners (including spouse) and family pensioners for a block period of four years. An order issued by the State government last week also states that if the spouse of any pensioner is also a pensioner, the recovery of subscription would be made from one person only, and this would be based on the option exercised by them. On this aspect, the official clarifies that the spouse-pensioner has to be a pensioner of the State government. At present, pensioners, accounting for 5.5 lakhs, and family pensioners, numbering 1.5 lakhs, come under the Government Pensioners Health Fund in which they are being provided financial assistance for undergoing specialised treatment or surgery when they are affected by major ailments. The limit is Rs.one lakh or 75 per cent of the actual cost of the treatment, whichever is less.
