The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Health insurance scheme for scribes launched

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Aug 16, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Health insurance scheme for scribes launched

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD, AUG. 15. The Chief Minister, Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, on Sunday launched a health insurance scheme for working journalists in the State and promised that the Government would examine the chances of introducing an insurance scheme for people who were unable to meet the high cost of health care. Dr. Reddy was addressing a gathering after launching the scheme, first of its kind in the country, at the Jubilee hall here.

The Information and Public Relations Department and the United India Insurance Company Limited devised the Group mediclaim policy for working journalists. The policy covers hospitalisation expenses arising out of accident, illness and disease. It covers room rent, nursing expenses, specialists and surgeons fee, diagnostic charges and cost of medicines.

Policy features

The policy has been designed to cover a family size of one plus three with a sum insured, which can be availed of by any one or all the four members. The scheme covers people in the age group of three months to 65 years. Expenses incurred prior to admission of up to 30 days (pre-hospitalisation) and after discharge up to 60 days (post hospitalisation) are also covered.

Dr. Reddy said the total cost of the health insurance coverage for selected 2,500 journalists was Rs. 47 lakhs of which the Government contribution was Rs. 30 lakhs while the remaining amount was collected from journalists.

Plea to Government

The Secretary-General of Indian Journalists Union, K. Sreenivasa Reddy, urged the Government and insurance company to examine the possibility of including the parents of working journalists under the scheme.

The United India Insurance Company Limited General Manager, Chennai, B. Chakrabarti, spoke while the UII Assistant General Manager, Ch. Veeraraghavaiah, explained the salient features of the policy. The I and PR Commissioner, K.V. Ramanachary, welcomed the gathering and the Andhra Pradesh Union of Working Journalists chief, Devulapalli Amar, proposed a vote of thanks.

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