After being launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, SEHAT – universal health coverage for all residents of Jammu and Kashmir – is getting good response with over 15 lakh people applying to get enrolled in the free health insurance scheme.
After the roll-out of free insurance scheme in J&K, the UT has got distinction of being only second place in India after Maharashtra where all residents are enrolled under free insurance with the government paying the insurance premium.
Mission Director, National Health Mission, Bhupinder Singh said that so far nearly 15 lakh people have got themselves enrolled under this scheme.
On December 26, Prime Minister Modi launched Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) SEHAT scheme for the residents of Jammu and Kashmir, via video conferencing.
PM Modi had stated that getting free treatment up to 5 lakh rupees under this scheme would improve the ease of living. About 6 lakh families of the state are getting the benefit of Ayushman Bharat Scheme. All 21 lakh families will now get the same benefits after the SEHAT scheme.
A senior official informed that J&K government has allocated Rs 54.6 crore as premium for J&K Health insurance scheme.
Under the insurance scheme, all treatments of Oncology, Cardiology and Nephrology will be covered from day one while the high-end diagnostic treatments during hospitalisation will also be covered.
The registration for availing this insurance cover is currently in progress across J&K at CSC centres.
A senior health department official said that under universal health coverage all the premiums will be paid by the government. “Therefore as part of the government’s commitment the first instalment of premium has been allocated to implement this Health scheme in J&K”.
In this regard, the health department has issued an order thereby sanctioning release and advance drawl of Rs 64.65 crore funds out of revenue budget 2020-21.
According to health department officials, the government is likely to incur a financial cost of around Rs 123 crore annually for this scheme. The scheme will be implemented through insurance service provider Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Company Ltd.
This insurance scheme will be implemented in convergence with Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY).
This scheme will cover about 15 lakh families over and above the 5.97 lakh families already covered under AB-PMJAY. Besides, 1,592 medical packages have already been approved under AB-PMJAY to which all beneficiaries of J&K Health Scheme will have access.
At present there are about 23,300 empanelled hospitals across India where this scheme can be availed and these include 218 public and private hospitals already empanelled in J&K.
The health department will soon be launching a beneficiary registration drive to distribute Golden Cards (e-cards) amongst the beneficiaries.