Karnataka first in country to give universal health coverage

Karnataka on Tuesday became the first in the country to provide universal health coverage with the launch of two schemes, the Rajiv Arogya Bhagya for APL households and the Jyothi Sanjeevini for government employees.

The health coverage is estimated to cost the government Rs. 120 crore annually.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who launched the schemes, said APL family members would be entitled for a health check costing up to Rs. 1.5 lakh a year.

In special cases, if the expenditure exceeds Rs. 1.5 lakh, the government could sanction an additional sum of Rs. 50,000. The schemes aim at providing subsidised healthcare to every citizen in the State involving APL families, he said. The scheme proposes to cover 449 surgical procedures and 50 follow-up packages.

Beneficiaries can avail treatment in 160 hospitals, including 14 hospitals outside the State. The government employees will get cashless treatment in 124 empanelled private hospitals under the Jyothi Sanjeevini scheme. It also covers 449 surgery procedures and 60 follow-up packages.

In 2010, the State had launched the Vajpayee Arogyasri scheme, an insurance scheme for BPL households.